Self-reported knowledge, attitude and mental health status of in-school adolescents in Nigeria
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Self-reported knowledge, attitude and mental health status of in-school adolescents in Nigeria | |
| Creator | Olowe, Atinuke O. Tshabalala, Amme M. Bruce, Judith C. | |
| Description | Background: The global rise in adolescent mental health conditions highlights the need for preventive interventions particularly in schools for timely access to young people, building on inherent strengths and competencies.Aim: The study aims to determine the knowledge, attitude, mental health status and the predictors of mental health status of in-school adolescents.Setting: The study was conducted in government-owned secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria. Simple random sampling was used to select one of three senatorial districts; one junior and one senior secondary school with a nurse-led school clinic were purposively selected from the sampled district.Methods: Within a cross-sectional survey design, a self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain data from a sample of in-school adolescents aged 10–19 years (n = 148), enrolled in junior and senior classes.Results: Most in-school adolescents reported poor knowledge (62.2%; n = 92) and poor attitude (54.7%; n = 81) towards mental health; 37.2% (n = 55) reported being substantially at risk of conduct problems. A high proportion (79.7%) indicated normal prosocial behaviours. Level of knowledge (odds ratio [OR] = 3.25; p 0.05; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.34–7.86) as well as third or higher birth order (OR = 3.46; p 0.05; 95% CI = 1.34–8.94) were significant predictors of mental health status.Conclusion: Most in-school adolescents lack knowledge, have a poor attitude towards mental health and are more likely to display conduct problems impacting their mental health status.Contribution: The study provides baseline evidence for designing in-school programmes with a mental wellness focus to promote the mental health of adolescents, leveraging professional and parental networks. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2025-04-10 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/phcfm.v17i1.4858 | |
| Source | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 17, No 1 (2025); 8 pages 2071-2936 2071-2928 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4858/8109
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4858/8110
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4858/8111
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/4858/8112
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