Mental Health Challenges Associated with Grief Among African Missionaries in Karen, Langata Sub County, Kenya

Grief is a universal human experience whose psychological expression and consequences are influenced by cultural and social contexts. African missionaries serving outside their home countries may experience bereavement while being unable to participate physically in family funerals and communal mourning rituals because of geographical distances, pastoral responsibilities, institutional obligations, and financial constraints. Despite the communal nature of African mourning, limited empirical research has examined the mental health challenges associated with grief among African missionaries. This study determined the mental health challenges associated with grief among African missionaries residing in Karen, Langata Sub-County, Kenya. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was employed. The target population comprised 1,102 African missionaries. A quantitative sample of 285 participants was selected using multistage stratified random sampling, and 276 valid questionnaires were included in the final quantitative analysis. 16 participants were purposively selected for qualitative interviews. Quantitative data were collected using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ 9), the Prolonged Grief Disorder Scale Revised (PG 13 R), and a researcher-developed six item Grief-Related Disruptions Scale (GRDS). Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and simple linear regression were used to analyze quantitative data, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Grief-related disruptions had a statistically significant positive relationship with prolonged grief symptoms (r = .306, p < .001). A weak negative statistically significant relationship was observed between grief-related disruptions and depressive symptoms (r = −.120, p = .046). Simple linear regression indicated that grief-related disruptions accounted for 9.4% of the variance in prolonged grief symptoms. Qualitative findings revealed persistent emotional pain, yearning, sleep disturbance, concentration difficulties, guilt, cultural disconnection, and continuation of ministry despite emotional suffering. The findings highlight the importance of culturally responsive psychological and pastoral approaches to bereavement among African missionaries.