Dipo Rites of Passage and Psychological Well-being Among Krobo Adolescent Females in Ghana: A Preliminary Study

Dipo is a historical rites of passage among the Krobo in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The goal of Dipo is to assist pubertal girls in transitioning into adulthood by shaping moral values and social responsibilities, learning home management skills, and preventing risky sexual behavior. Differences i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of black psychology 2021-09, Vol.47 (6), p.387-400
Main Authors: Abbey, Elizabeth Anorkor, Mate-Kole, Christopher Charles, Amponsah, Benjamin, Belgrave, Faye Z.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent girls
Adolescents
Gender roles
Girls
Home Management
Morality
Psychological distress
Psychological well being
Risk behavior
Rites of passage
Secondary schools
Sex Role
Sexual behavior
Social Responsibility
Teenagers
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Summary:Dipo is a historical rites of passage among the Krobo in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The goal of Dipo is to assist pubertal girls in transitioning into adulthood by shaping moral values and social responsibilities, learning home management skills, and preventing risky sexual behavior. Differences in psychological distress among girls who had and had not participated in Dipo were examined in the current study. The sample included 145 adolescent females, 80 Dipo initiates and, 65 nonDipo initiates. Participants, 12 to 20 years of age, were recruited from junior and senior high schools, and administered a questionnaire with measures of psychological distress, a sex role inventory, and a measure of favorability of Dipo. Findings revealed that Dipo initiates reported significantly less psychological distress than noninitiates. Dipo initiates also reported more favorable attitudes about Dipo than noninitiates. Although this study is preliminary, findings suggest that Dipo may be useful for increasing psychological well-being. Recommendations for future research are provided.
ISSN:0095-7984
1552-4558
DOI:10.1177/00957984211011307