| dc.description.abstract | Usually, stress occurs when a person faces situations that are viewed to be endangering their physical or psychological functions, such as the loss of a loved one. Severe stress in one way or the other can contribute to challenges especially those related to person’s psychology and maladaptive behaviors. Research has been done on a number of factors influencing orphans' stress levels, but scanty information is available on possible influence of irrational beliefs on stress levels. The purpose of this study was to investigate irrational beliefs as predictors of stress levels of orphans in secondary schools in Rarieda Sub-County, Siaya County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were: to find out the relationship between demandingness irrational beliefs and stress levels of orphaned students in public secondary schools; to examine how awfulizing irrational beliefs influence stress levels of orphaned students in public secondary schools; to establish the relationship between low-frustration tolerance irrational beliefs and stress levels of orphaned students in secondary schools and to find out the relationship between worthlessness irrational beliefs and stress levels of orphaned students in public secondary schools in Rarieda Sub County, Siaya County, Kenya. This study was anchored on Rational Emotive Behavior Theory and Attachment Theory. Concurrent Triangulation Design under mixed method approach was adopted. From a target population of 3,842 orphans in secondary schools in the Sub-County, 350 were included in the study using simple random sampling together with 15 principals and 15 Guidance and Counseling teachers who were obtained through purposive sampling. Piloting was done among 20 orphans in schools that were not taking part in the study to assess the reliability of the research instruments. Questionnaires and Focus Group Discussions were used to collect data from orphaned students while face-to-face interviews were used to collect data from Principals and Guidance and Counseling teachers. The two university research supervisors determined the validity of research instruments. Reliability was ascertained by internal consistency method using Croncbachs alpha, and a reliability coefficient of above 0.6 was obtained from the questionnaire items. Inferential statistics from quantitative data was analyzed using Pearson’s Product Correlation and Regression Analysis with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Qualitative data from the interviews and Focus Group Discussions were analyzed thematically. The study revealed that: demandingness was a significant predictor of stress levels of orphaned students in secondary schools ( r=0.149, N=314); there was a statistically significant, but a weak correlation ( r=0.243,N=314,p<0.5) between awfulizing and stress levels among orphaned students; Low Frustration Tolerance had a positive but weak correlation (r=0.191, N=314, p<0.5) with stress levels of orphaned students; there was a statistically significant, but fairly weak positive correlation between worthlessness and stress levels of orphaned students in secondary schools (r=0.167,N=314,p<0.5). From Regression analysis report it was concluded that awfulizing irrational beliefs explained the greater portion of variance in stress levels than any of the other subscales of irrational beliefs. The study recommended that the school based counselors should expose orphans in secondary schools to REBT techniques of disputing irrational thoughts. Comprehensive programmes that enhance rational thinking among students should be developed in schools. Accompanying these programmes should be tools that assess the level of rationality in order to monitor stress levels. | en_US |