African Occupational Therapy Review (Research focus) | 26 July 2009

Impact of School-Based Mental Health Literacy Programmes on Adolescent Anxiety and Depression in Nigeria: Yearly Psychological Wellbeing Changes

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18885653

Abstract

Adolescent anxiety and depression are prevalent mental health issues in Nigeria, affecting school-aged children's psychological wellbeing. A mixed-methods approach involving pre- and post-programme surveys with validated scales, alongside qualitative interviews to explore participants' experiences. During the study period from to , there was a statistically significant decrease of $p = 0.04$ in adolescent anxiety scores on post-intervention compared to pre-intervention (mean difference = -5.6, 95% CI [-8.2, -3.0]). The mental health literacy programme demonstrated promise in mitigating adolescent anxiety and depression symptoms over time. Further longitudinal studies with a larger sample size are recommended to validate these findings and explore the sustainability of the intervention. adolescent, anxiety, depression, mental health literacy, school-based interventions