Influence of stress on false memories among adult outpatients attending psychiatric clinic at Meru level five hospital, Meru County, Kenya

Abstract

Worldwide, approximately 3.9 percent of individuals have encountered PTSD during their lives, while around 5.6 percent of those who have faced traumatic events subsequently develop the condition. The prevalence rises notably to 15.3 percent for people who have been subjected to violent conflict or warfare. The purpose of this study was to examine how stress influences false memories among adult outpatients visiting the psychiatric clinic at Meru Level 5 Hospital in Meru County, Kenya. The research was structured around several objectives: to assess the effect of acute stress on false memories in adult outpatients at the psychiatric clinic; to determine how episodic acute stress influences false memories; to explore the effect of chronic stress on false memories; to identify the prevalence of false memories; and to propose strategic stress interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of false memories among adult outpatients at Meru Level 5 Hospital. A descriptive approach was utilized for this investigation. The study's target population consisted of 1,800 adult outpatients and five psychiatrists. The Yamane formula was used to calculate a sample size of 332 participants. Data collection involved the use of questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative data were processed using SPSS, whereas qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The questions were assessed through the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation (r) at a 95% confidence level. The study achieved a 90.4% response rate, with 300 out of 332 questionnaires returned fully completed. Findings revealed that 43.3% of participants frequently experienced insomnia, 41.7% had recurring panic attacks, and 46.7% reported frequent headaches key indicators of stress-related cognitive distortion. Additionally, 43.3% acknowledged often forgetting things they had just been told, while 38.3% expressed doubts about the accuracy of their memories. Memory lapses such as forgetting names of acquaintances (40%) and recent thoughts (43.3%) were commonly reported. The study concluded that acute, episodic, and chronic stress significantly influenced the formation of false memories. Chronic stress, marked by symptoms such as inability to concentrate and persistent fatigue, showed the strongest link to cognitive impairment. The high prevalence of stress-related false memories among psychiatric outpatients calls for urgent clinical attention. The study recommends implementation of evidence-based stress approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), resilience training, and regular psychiatric counseling. These interventions should be integrated into routine mental health care to enhance memory accuracy and overall psychological well-being among adult psychiatric patients.