Begging among Physically Healthy Adults in Addis Ababa: Reasons, Strategies and Mental Wellbeing

Beggary is not welcomed in our society and in many religious teachings. However, many people, including those who are physically healthy, are earning a living from begging. The purpose of this study was to assess the reasons forcing physically healthy adult beggars to lead life through begging, strategies they employed and mental wellbeing. Data were collected from 100 participants selected through purposive and convenience sampling techniques by the help of interview, FGD and Mental Health Continuum Scale. The findings revealed that invitation, poverty, and unemployment were among the reasons accounting for begging. The results of the quantitative data revealed that the mean score of mental wellbeing of physically healthy beggars (56.6) was found above average (35); indicating that the participants were mentally healthy too. The analysis of the t-test shows that there was significant difference between addicted and non-addicted adult beggars in mental wellbeing; t( df  = 36) = 6.8, p < .01).The researcher recommends that to minimize or ultimately stop the behavior, reasons accounting for begging need to be emphasized and improved.