AN EVALUATION OF THE ROLE OF SCHOOL COUNSELING IN SUPPORTING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ABRAKA, DELTA STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

School, an institution where students cultivate and enhance their abilities, aptitudes, and proficiencies in order to make informed and successful professional decisions, enabling them to effectively fulfil their academic responsibilities and duties.However, if students lack the ability to identify their own skills and potential, their academic performance and achievements at school will be at a poor level. According to Muro & Kottman (2018) , student possess qualities that enable them to effectively construct and strategize their future career plans, as well as select courses that are likely to improve their academic performance and job prospects. Furthermore, students are offered effective counselling sessions to improve their academic performance and promote their emotional well-being. However, a significant number of students encounter mental health difficulties that have a detrimental impact on their academic performance within the school environment. As per the National Association of Mental Illness (2018), 20% of adolescents aged 13 to 18 are experiencing a mental health disorder. These psychiatric disorders can impede their academic, social, and emotional success. Similarly, the symptoms associated with mental health diagnoses manifest in various ways within the academic environment and can hinder students from reaching their maximum capabilities. Although research on evidence-based practices for addressing mental health issues in schools exists, there has been limited discussion regarding the involvement of school counsellors in implementing mental health models in certain secondary schools in Nigeria (Lynn et al., 2018; Mellin et al., 2020; Splett & Maras, 2021). In addition, secondary students in Nigeria typically attend school for 6 to 8 hours per day for a duration of 9 months each year (Baker, 2023). It is believed that approximately 5-9% of these children are experiencing academic difficulties due to emotional and/or behavioural issues. Furthermore, among groups with poor socioeconomic level, almost 20% of children of school age experience a mental health issue. According to Baker (2018),  approximately 12.5% of middle school children encounters some form of anxiety, while 1% of high school students will receive a diagnosis of depression. A concerning statistic reveals that a significant majority, ranging from 70% to 80%, of students with severe mental health requirements are not provided with the necessary mental health care (Lynn et al., 2019). Beyond that, Carlson and Kees (2018) found that students who require mental health help are more inclined to seek assistance within the academic environment rather than from a local mental health organization. Therefore, it is imperative that schools are ready to offer the essential assistance. In the educational environment, certain mental health specialists/ counsellor are often present to alleviate the barriers that are impacting students' overall mental well-being. Given that school counsellor are the primary figures in educational environments who tackle the obstacles that impede students' social, emotional, and academic progress, they are also the appropriate source for endorsing mental health models (Patel et al. , 2018).  The study therefore aims to conduct a survey in order to evaluate the role of school counseling in supporting the mental health of secondary school students in Abraka, Delta state.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The concept of school-based mental health is not new, but it has received more recognition in recent decades (Weist, Lever, Bradshaw & Owens, 2018). Presently, the mental health system for children and adolescents is insufficient (Horowitz & Reinhardt, 2019) and families face numerous barriers that they must overcome, such as insurance issues and little understanding of mental health. As a result, schools have effectively become the primary mental health providers for these individuals. Currently, the academic performance of students in secondary school is progressively declining. In secondary education, the services of school counsellors are crucial for assisting students in career development to achieve optimal performance in different aspects of life, including education, profession, social interactions, health, morality, personal growth, and relationships. However, it is important to acknowledge that the profession of guiding counselling should be clearly necessary in secondary education. Furthermore, some researchers observed that the majority of parents of the school children attribute the students' under performance to the school counsellors' lack of efficacy in carrying out their duties. These individuals have questioned whether school counsellors actively engage in effective counselling of students. However, some parents have noticed that many teachers view counsellors assigned to their schools as competitors and try to undermine or discredit their work by falsely suggesting that the schools lack necessary resources, such as a suitable counselling office and sufficient funding, to support counselling activities (Nwaokolo, 2019). Also, many parents have developed negative perceptions of school counsellors' effectiveness, leading them to prefer sending their children to the principal for counselling. This preference is often due to the strong interpersonal relationship they have with the principal. Thus, it is in the light of this, the study seeks to evaluate the role of school counseling in supporting the mental health of secondary school students in Abraka, Delta state.

1.3  Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of school counseling in supporting the mental health of secondary school students in Abraka, Delta state. Specifically, the study will;

1.Assess the  availability of school counseling services in secondary schools in Abraka, Delta State.

2.Examine the mental health challenges faced by secondary school students in Abraka.

3.Assess the attitudes and perceptions of students towards the role of school counseling in supporting student mental health.

4.Assess the effectiveness of existing school counseling programs in supporting  the mental health concerns of secondary school students in Abraka, Delta State

1.4 Research Questions 

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

What is the availability of school counseling services in secondary schools in Abraka, Delta State?

What are the mental health challenges commonly faced by secondary school students in Abraka?

What are the attitudes and perceptions of students regarding the role of school counseling in supporting student mental health in Abraka, Delta State?

How effective are existing school counseling programs in addressing the mental health concerns of secondary school students in Abraka, Delta State?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

H0: There is no significant difference in the availability of school counseling services in secondary schools in Abraka, Delta State.

Ha: There is a significant difference in the availability of school counseling services in secondary schools in Abraka, Delta State.

1.6 Significance of the Study

Policymakers and supporters of student mental health can utilise study findings to guide policy decisions, provide resources for mental health services in schools, and push for the incorporation of mental health education and support into school curricula and programmes. Furthermore, the study offers guidance on how parents will efficiently cooperate with school counsellors, identify indications of mental health problems in their children, and obtain pertinent resources and support networks.Also, it will help help counselors refine their practices, develop  interventions, and advocate for resources to better meet the needs of students. Additionally, subsequent researchers will use it as a literature review. This means that other students who may decide to conduct studies in this area will have the opportunity to use this study as available literature that can be subjected to critical review. Invariably, the result of the study contributes immensely to the body of academic knowledge with regard to the role of school counseling in supporting the mental health of secondary school students in Abraka, Delta state.

1.7 Scope of the study

The scope of this study is boarded on the role of school counseling in supporting the mental health of secondary school students in Abraka, Delta state. Empirically, this study will assess the  availability of school counseling services in secondary schools, examine the mental health challenges faced by secondary school students,  the attitudes and perceptions of students towards the role of school counseling in supporting student mental health and assess the effectiveness of existing school counseling programs in supporting  the mental health concerns of secondary school students.

Geographically, the study will be delimited to secondary school students in Abraka, Delta State.

1.8 Limitation of the study

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents. In addition, there was the element of researcher bias. Here, the researcher possessed some biases that may have been reflected in the way the data was collected, the type of people interviewed or sampled, and how the data gathered was interpreted thereafter. The potential for all this to influence the findings and conclusions could not be downplayed. 

More so, the findings of this study are limited to the sample population in the study area, hence they may not be suitable for use in comparison to other schools, local governments, states, and other countries in the world.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Counselling: a collaborative process between a trained professional (counsellor) and an individual or group (client) aimed at facilitating personal growth, psychological well-being, and problem resolution. 

Counsellor: is a qualified and trained professional who provides counselling services to individuals, couples, families, or groups. 

Mental health: a person's emotional, psychological, and social well-being.