Abstract: The study examined the effect of mental health education on risky behaviours among in-school adolescents in kogi state Nigeria. Adolescents are observed to be faced with challenges of ill-health and premature death worldwide because of their involvement in preventable risky behaviours which mental health education has been identified to have the potential to remedy. Mental Health Education Risky Behaviour Inventory - MHERBI (r- 0.81) pretest and posttest was administered among 436 participants before and after eight week mental health education training. Four hypothesis on effect of mental health education on risky behaviour, gender, religion and 3-way interaction effect on gender and religion among those exposed to treatment and control group) were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data was tested with ANCOVA. There were no significant effect between treatment and control groups (F (1,427) = .83; p >.05), but experimental group obtained higher score (x̄ =34.85) than control group (x̄ = 34.29). Also 3-way interaction effect on treatment, gender and religion (F (1,427) = .09; p > .05) is not significant but there were also slightly higher posttest score in both cases. The study concludes that mental health education is realised to have potential of effecting positive health behaviour and healthy lifestyle among in-school adolescents. Mental health education is recommended for inclusion in secondary school curriculum to inculcate positive mental health in in-school adolescents.
Keywords: Risky behaviour, In-school adolescents, Mental health education, Gender, Religion.
Title: EFFECT OF MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION ON RISKY BEHAVIOURS AMONG IN-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN KOGI STATE NIGERIA
Author: JACOB, FUNSO FLORENCE
International Journal of Healthcare Sciences
ISSN 2348-5728 (Online)
Research Publish Journals
