Awareness and Management of Depression among Married Personnels in Private Secondary Schools in Benin City, Edo State

Abstract

Depression, a state of constant sadness, has become an everyday term in our society. Day in day out people go through situations that  constantly predisposes them to an unhealthy mental state subsequently leading to depression. This study investigated the awareness  and management of depression among married Adults in private secondary schools in Benin City. Four research questions and two  hypotheses were generated to guide the study. A total of 300 married adults were selected from private schools using a stratified random  sampling technique. An instrument developed by the researchers titled “Awareness and Management of Depression  Questionnaire (AMDQ)” was used to gather the data for the study. The questionnaire was validated by three Counsellor Educators in the  College of Education, Ekiadolor, Edo State. A test re-test reliability with a coefficient of 0.64 established the consistency of the instrument.  The generated data was analysed using means, standard deviation and t-test statistics. Findings of the study revealed that married  personnels in private schools are well aware of depression and find ways to cope with it. The study also indicated no significant difference  in the awareness of depression among married adults in private schools on the basis of gender, while there was significant  difference on the management of depression among married adults in private schools on the basis of gender. The study recommended  creating awareness and educating individuals through public lectures about the symptoms and management of depression as ways to  overcome depression.