Mental Health Risk Behaviour and Restorative Practices among Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Ogun State

Abstract

Mental health risk behaviours pose a threat to psychological wellbeing of the adolescents, but restorative practices are useful. The study investigates mental health risk behaviour and restorative practices among adolescents.  The objectives set for the study were to; determine the mental health risk behaviours and restorative mental health-related practices among the adolescents, while a hypothesis was tested. The study utilized a descriptive cross-sectional design. Multistage sampling was employed and 408 sample drawn using power analysis. The instrument used was Adolescent’s Mental Health-Risk Behaviour & Restorative Practices questionnaire (AMHBRPQ). The reliability of the instrument was 0.78 using Pearson’s Moment Correlation Coefficient. Data generated was subjected to descriptive statistics and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. The results showed that the adolescent engaged in mental health risk behaviour (2.68 ± 0.42), practised restorative mental health (3.25 ± 0.74) while urban students had a higher restorative mental health practices than the rural students. (P>0.05). The study therefore recommended a sensitization programme against substance abuse and enlightenment on sex education, while resource to enhance restorative mental health should be provided in the rural schools.