Marital Stressors and Management of Psychological Problems in Mariama Ba’s So Long a Letter

Abstract:

This study examines how marital conditions trigger psychological problems in African cultural society, focusing on Mariama Ba’s So Long a Letter. It also explores the underlying causes and management strategies of emotional pains in socio-cultural settings. The study adopted Freudian Psychoanalytic theory that focuses on the causality of the psychic and emotional conflicts being experienced by individuals in society. The findings revealed that betrayal of trust, economic hardship, untimely death, intra-family pressure, family background, co-wife antagonism, religious beliefs and traditional practices are serious marital stressors that trigger psychological and emotional problems in marriages/family units in African society. These stressors have some adverse effects on patients, including depression, phobic anxieties, insomnia, posttraumatic stress disorders, behaviour disorders, and so on. The study also found that psychological suffering is managed in several ways, such as writing, adjustment strategies, distractive techniques, sublimation, medical treatment, etc. The research concludes that couples should be faithful to their partners, ensures mutual understanding and never allows family pressure and customary laws and practices to interfere in their marriages. However, where there are stressors, couples should endeavour to adopt effective coping strategies to promote marital health and improve quality of life.