The Africa Long Life Study: A longitudinal exploration of the psychological development of young adults in Kenya, Namibia and South Africa.

This is a longitudinal collaborative study examining the psychological development of emerging adults with a focus on personality traits and mental disorders with data being collected over a period of 5 years. The work is spearheaded by psychologists from the University of Zurich,Switzerland; The Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Kenya; University of Namibia and University of the Free State, South Africa. The study is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the University of Zurich. The Study has been approved by the Daystar University Ethical Review Board (DU-ERB-000617) and the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI). The Kenyan sample consists of eight hundred (800) 18-year-olds at the point of the first wave of data collection, of which 50% are men and 50% are women, from throughout Kenya and belonging to any ethno-linguistic group. Data is collected at intervals of six months for a period of 5 years. The Kenya research team is supported by a team of postgraduate students from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa working as research assistants. The goals of the study are to compare results to those from other contexts, in order to help differentiate more universal from culturally specific aspects of psychological phenomena among emerging adults. The findings will inform counsellors, policy makers and educators in different countries about the characteristics and needs of this generation of young adults.