Personality and Mental Health in Namibia, 2021

1,912 participants were recruited from throughout central, eastern, northern and southern Namibia to complete surveys on personality and mental health. Specifically, the sample includes 645 Khoekhoegowab-speakers from throughout Namibia, 678 Oshiwambo-speakers from far-northern Namibia, and 589 English-speakers from Windhoek and surrounding areas (Age 18 to 70; M = 33.28; SD = 11.13; 55% female). The surveys included measures of personality traits (Questionnaire Big Six, Thalmayer and Saucier, 2014), religiosity (Duke University Religion Index, Koenig and Büssing, 2010), well-being (Satisfaction With Life Scale, Diener et al.,1985), mental health (International Mental Health Assessment, Thalmayer et al., 2023), physical health, and multiple demographic indicators (i.e., age, gender, employment status, household income, their own and their parents' or caregivers' level of schooling, and home language). Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with 16 adult Khoekhoe speakers from six urban and rural communities. This qualitative data includes local conceptions of serious mental illness, how these are seen to relate to routine (depression, anxiety, substance abuse) mental illness, and the cultural meaning of these domains. The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by University Research Ethics Commission, University of Namibia.