Assessing the Impact of Early Childhood Health Interventions on Adolescent Mental Health Outcomes in Urban Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59890/ijsas.v4i2.352Keywords:
Early Childhood Health, Adolescent Mental Health, Descriptive Survey, Academic Counsellors, Health CounsellorsAbstract
The increasing anxiety about the rise of mental health issues in adolescents has put into focus the importance of early-life conditions in determining psychological development. The current study used descriptive survey research design, which involved adolescents in the Senior Secondary School III (SSS III) in urban secondary schools. A sample of 107 students was procured. The data were gathered through a structured questionnaire with a four-point Likert scale. Subject-matter experts validated the instrument and military reliability was ensured before its implementation. The process of data-collection was assisted by five trained research assistants and the resulting responses were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The results found out that most of the respondents belonged to the high (45.8 %) and middle (43.0 %) socio-economic classes, with women representing 78.5 percent of the sample. Evidence of high exposure to early childhood health interventions was displayed with nearly all respondents reporting receiving vaccination, healthcare services, proper nutrition, and frequent medical check-ups with a sub-section showing minimal exposure to community health interventions. In terms of mental health outcomes, the majority of adolescents reported to be emotionally stable, self-confident, that they possess effective stress-coping skills and that they feel satisfied with their life, but a significant percentage of adolescents also indicated experiencing anxiety. Inferential analysis showed a statistically significant effect of early childhood health interventions on adolescent mental health outcomes and the further significant effects of gender and family socio-economic status, all of which explain 82.7 per cent of the variance. The research concludes that strengthening health interventions in early children is promising in helping to improve the mental health outcomes of adolescents.
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