PERSONAL PERCEPTION, PARENTAL AND PEER-GROUP INFLUENCES AS CORRELATES OF MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES AMONG IN-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN IBADAN METROPOLIS

Abstract

This study examined personal perceptions, parental influences, and peer-group effects as correlates of mental health outcomes among adolescents still in school, specifically in senior secondary schools in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria. A descriptive correlational survey design was used. A multi-stage sampling method was applied to select 390 participants from 10 senior secondary schools within Ibadan Metropolis. The data were gathered with validated tools: Personal Perception Scale (α = 0.85), Parental Influence Scale (α = 0.82), Peer-Group Influence Scale (α = 0.87), and Mental Health Outcomes Scale (α = 0.89). Four research questions were addressed using independent samples t-tests, Pearson's Product-Moment Correlation, and multiple regression analysis, all at the .05 level of significance. From the findings, the male adolescents had significantly negative mental health outcomes compared with the female adolescents. There were also significant positive associations between mental health outcomes and personal perception (r = .969), peer-group influences (r = .810), and parental influences (r = .290). Together, the independent variables explained as much as 95.8% of the variance in mental health outcomes. Personal perception was the strongest predictor (β = .946), followed by peer-group influences (β = .635), and, lastly, parental influences (β = .142). The study concludes that personal perception is, to a greater or lesser extent, the most powerful correlate of adolescent mental health in Ibadan Metropolis. Recommendations, as in things to do, include school-based mental health programs, parent education initiatives, and peer support intervention(s).