The Wellbeing of Young Adults as a Function of Parental Status in Rural Tanzania

The East-African nation of Tanzania has one of the highest HIV/AIDS rates in the entire world, and thus, an alarmingly high number of orphaned children. The present study sought to determine if being an orphan during childhood, either single or double, is related to one’s psychological wellbeing in young adulthood. Orphan status and psychological wellbeing information was gathered via surveys containing background information and standardized wellbeing scales. The oral survey was administered in person in Kiswahili, the national language of Tanzania. Sixty-three young adults, ages 18–25, in a small rural village community participated in the study. The results of the study found no significant association between orphan status in childhood and psychological wellbeing in young adulthood, leading to a discussion on how parental loss may be experienced in small, African, rural villages, under the framework of resilience. Conclusions were all speculative and further research is thus recommended. KEYWORDS: Psychological; Wellbeing; Orphan; Parental Loss; HIV/AIDS; Tanzania; Sub-Saharan Africa