Determinants of Indebtedness Related Distress among Public Secondary School Teachers in Kiambu County, Kenya

Globally, indebtedness has been consistently linked to financial and psychological distress, including anxiety and depression. When borrowing tendency is coupled with low or stagnant income, individuals may experience loan related distress. Kenya’s teachers are increasingly exposed to financial vulnerability that appears linked to both rising household borrowing and growing mental health burden. This study aimed to examine the determinants of indebtedness related distress among public secondary school teachers in Kiambu County, Kenya. This study was anchored on Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Stress Process Model (SPM). This study adopted a descriptive case study design. The study target population comprised of all 6658 teachers and the sample size was 384 teachers. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire using Google Forms. The indebtedness-related distress was measured using an adapted and modified version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). The study carried both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results show that determinants of indebtedness explain 64.5% of variance in distress (R²=0.645), with positive and significant effects from personal financial characteristics (β=0.38, p=.000), financial behaviour (β=0.54, p=.000), loan dynamics (β=0.19, p=.039), and socio-cultural/external pressures (β=0.27, p=.000). The study recommends Teachers Service Commission TSC, Ministry of Education Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) should initiate periodic reviews of teacher salaries and allowances, to align income with inflation and household costs, The Ministry of Education, SACCOs, and teacher unions (KNUT, KUPPET) should collaborate to provide financial literacy and debt management training for all teachers. The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), in collaboration with the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA), should enforce stricter regulation of interest rates, transparency of loan terms, rogue lenders. The TSC, should establish a teacher wellness program that includes confidential counseling, debt advisory services, and stress management workshops. Key words: Indebtedness, Distress, Teachers