When Dr. Ddumba Matovu Pius walks across the graduation stage on 25th October to receive his Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology from Nkumba University, it will not just mark the end of an academic pursuit, it will be the zenith of a deeply personal journey shaped by loss, love, and a burning desire to restore dignity to Uganda’s elderly.
After losing both parents mid-way through his PhD, Dr. Ddumba Matovu Pius turned grief into motivation to advance geriatric mental health, proving that compassion, not just research, can transform lives.
His Doctoral thesis focused on Geriatric Mental Health Counseling, exploring low-cost, practical interventions for adults above 60 experiencing depressive symptoms. “I wrote my doctoral thesis in the area of geriatric mental health counseling,” he says with a reflective calm. “My study sought to identify better, practical, and low-cost interventions for older adults above 60 years experiencing depressive symptoms.”
The study was triggered by a disturbing trend he noticed in recent studies: “There has been an unprecedented increase in the prevalence of depressive symptoms among older adults, from 22% to 32%, as reported by Nakasujja et al. (2021) and Akena et al. (2023),” he explains. “This clearly revealed an urgent need to investigate how our family environments affect the mental health of older adults.”
For Dr. Ddumba, the choice of this research area was not purely academic. It was, as he puts it, “a personal calling.” “The world is aging,” he asserts. “But what struck me most was realizing that my own aging parents needed professional accompaniment that I couldn’t provide.” He recalls that during his master’s studies, he learned that older people are classified as a special population, yet “they remain the ‘prodigal children’ of many professional trainings.”
He laments that most university curricula in fields like psychology, social work, and development studies are “designed with a bias on the young, leaving older adults misunderstood and neglected, the outcome is that people in the labour market lack insight and skills to engage with the real-world experiences of older clients, that’s why older adults often say, ‘I cannot be understood.’”
The changing family system, he observes, has worsened the plight of the elderly. “Many older adults live alone, face financial hardships, or are victims of crime,” he says. “Some live in skipped-generation households with grandchildren but without their own children. The traditional family safety net is failing, and this calls for urgent, authentic interventions.”
Enrolled in August 2022, Dr. Ddumba set a bold goal, to complete his PhD within three years. Against the odds, he did exactly that. “It has taken me three years, just as I planned. I’m glad I have fulfilled my target.”
Yet the journey was anything but a bumpy ride. “From my perspective, five major concerns threatened my PhD journey the most,” he recounts. “Critical knowledge, work overload, loss of my parents, financial constraints, and maintaining family support.”
He admits that academic writing was daunting at first. “Academic writing is sweet when the researcher is bathed in the required subject language. I had identified myself with gerontology through personal readings and conferences, but I still felt inadequate. So, I enrolled for a Higher Diploma in Geriatrics and Gerontology. That decision grounded me professionally.”
Then came the pandemic. “At the time, the world was sneezing from the ramifications of COVID-19,” he recalls. “I was serving as a faculty leader. You can imagine the workload. Eventually, I had to let go of the office work to pursue my academic dream.”
But perhaps the toughest blow was personal. “In a span of one year, I lost both my parents,” he revealed, his voice softening. “As someone who was studying how to offer graceful aging, it was devastating. Yet it reminded me why this research mattered, to help others care better for their aging parents and themselves.”
Financial hurdles also loomed large. “Doctoral studies are expensive, especially during fieldwork,” he notes. “I was fortunate to secure funding from RUFORUM under the Graduate Teaching Assistantship, but even then, you must prepare financially for unexpected costs.”
Still, he credits his success to a strong social network. “My family and friends understood what it takes to complete a PhD on time,” he says. “Their moral and emotional support helped me stay grounded. You must learn to relax amidst the pressure; it’s part of the game.”
Dr. Ddumba now sees himself as a bridge between academia and the community. “In ten years, I hope to have designed collaborative interventions with NGOs and academic institutions to improve the family environment of older adults,” he says. “I also want to re-test a locally applicable model for improving aging care in the East African region.”
Born the third child in a humble family, Ddumba went to St. Charles Lwanga Kyotera Primary, then St. Sebastian SS Bethlehem, and later Kiteredde SS for A-Level.
He holds a Bachelor of Philosophy, a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology, and additional training in geriatrics, child protection, and research. “All these shaped my academic worldview and my empathy for the vulnerable,” he notes.
For those dreaming of a PhD, Dr. Ddumba offers counsel, “Higher degrees require passionate reading and extraordinary love for the population that draws your attention. You cannot master what you are unsure about.”
He encourages prospective students to first take short academic programs to reorient themselves. “Enroll in a light program that aligns with your intended research. It helps you refine your focus.”
As he reflects on his academic journey, he draws his gratitude to his support system, “I extend appreciation to Nkumba University for the good academic life I have enjoyed during these three years,” he says with a warm “I owe you.”
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