Renowned public health researcher and medical doctor Dr. Kennedy Obohwemu has launched another major innovation in mental health science with the unveiling of the Self-Comforting Attitude Theory (SCAT) and the Self-Comforting Attitude Scale (SCAS).
This new research explores the often-overlooked question of how people feel about their own coping behaviours—offering a breakthrough in understanding the inner beliefs that drive emotional resilience.
Published in Mental Health & Prevention, a respected journal by Elsevier, the study is already drawing attention from psychologists, educators, and mental health professionals across the globe.
The publication is indexed in Scopus and Web of Science, reflecting the academic rigour and peer-reviewed strength of the findings.
This latest development complements Dr. Obohwemu’s earlier landmark contribution—the Self-Comforting and Coping Theory (SCCT) and its associated Self-Comforting and Coping Scale (SCCS)—which focused on what people do to comfort themselves during psychological distress.
Together, the four tools form the Self-Comforting Framework, the first scientifically validated system designed to assess both the behaviours and attitudes associated with emotional self-regulation.
Speaking on his new feat to our Reporter, Dr Obohwemu, said: “Many people instinctively engage in self-soothing actions like deep breathing, positive self-talk, or mindfulness.
“But whether they view these acts as helpful or indulgent can determine whether they actually use them in times of need. The SCAT and SCAS help us understand those mental roadblocks.”
The research is grounded in lived experience. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Obohwemu endured a year of personal crisis—isolated in the UK without family, employment, or support.
That period of intense emotional pressure led him to rely on internal coping mechanisms, which would eventually inspire a theoretical framework that is now reshaping mental health research worldwide.
Mental health advocates have praised the framework’s relevance to multicultural and underserved populations, noting that it supports more inclusive approaches to emotional wellbeing—especially in settings where formal psychological support is limited.
With two groundbreaking theories and two validated measurement scales now published, Dr. Obohwemu is leading the way in redefining emotional resilience from both scientific and human perspectives. His work is not only expanding the psychological toolkit—but affirming the legitimacy of self-care practices that many people turn to in silence.
