Contextual Predictors and Preventive Strategies of Mental Health Problems among Students of Tertiary Institutions, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: This study investigated contextual predictors and preventive strategies for mental health problems among students of tertiary institutions at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nigeria. Three specific objectives and two null hypotheses guided the study.

Materials and Methods: The correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population for the study comprised 12,578 undergraduate students. The multistage sampling procedure was used to select the study sample of 390 students. The Mental Health Problems Questionnaire (MHPQ) and Mental Health Problems Preventive Strategies Questionnaire (MHPPSQ) were used for the study. Five experts in Public Health Education validated the MHPQ. The reliability of the MHPQ was determined using the Cronbach alpha statistic. The reliability coefficients of 0.71, 0.74 and 0.88 were obtained for sections B, C, and D of the MHPQ, respectively. The MHPPSQ contained 13 items formulated based on the study’s baseline findings. The data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM SPSS version 25). Mean, standard deviation, and pointbiserial correlation were used to answer research questions, while multiple regression analyses were used to test the null hypotheses 1 and 2 at a 0.05 level of significance.

Results: Results showed that there was a positive moderate relationship between anxiety severity and students’ social/environment (rbp = .37), curriculum/expectations (rbp = .32) and financial stress (rbp =.36) and a weak positive relationship between anxiety severity and students perceived academic achievement (rbp = .25) and time/balance challenge (rbp = .25). There was a positive moderate relationship between depression severity and social/environment (rbp = .32) and financial stress (rbp = .33). Furthermore, social/physical environmental challenges with higher beta values (beta = 1.091, p= 0.001) and financial stress (beta = 1.079, P< .001) were statistically significant and social/physical environmental challenges with higher beta values (beta = 1.026, p < = 001) and financial stress (beta = 1.081, P < .001) were statistically significant. Health education experts also considered the formulated preventive strategies for mental health problems among students of tertiary institutions appropriate ( = 3.21; SD = 0.35).

Conclusion: The study highlights the need for routine mental health screening programmes in tertiary institutions to identify students at risk of anxiety and depression by psychologists and mental health professionals. With the academic and other socio-economic demands of tertiary educational pursuits, students form a vulnerable group for close monitoring to prevent adopting ineffective coping strategies including recourse to psychoactive substances and other self-destructive behaviours.