ANALYSIS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC RISK FACTORS OF MENTAL ILLNESS AMONG YOUTHS IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA
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Date
2024-05
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Publisher
Department of Sociology, Federal University Of Gusau, Zamfara State
Abstract
The study examined socio-economic correlates and mental illness among youths in Kwara State,
North Central, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 114 respondents
from three council areas in the three senatorial districts of the state using structured questionnaire.
Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and cross tabulation. Findings of the study
revealed that 79.8% and 81.6% of respondents indicated that financial hardship and unemployment
often take the center stage as the most socio-economic risk factors accountable to the increasing
rate of mental illness among the youths while 88.6% and 83.3% of respondents respectively
reported incessant strikes embarked upon by teachers/lecturers of educational institutions and
undue threats by government security personnel. Similarly, 91.2% of respondents revealed poor
social relationships maintained by the youths amongst other critical issues. Social workers were
identified as playing crucial role in the areas of counseling, advocacy, collaborative
services/referrals sequel to which a recommendation was made for inclusion of social work and
mental health in the curriculum of primary and secondary schools as well as form part of general
study courses in Nigerian higher institutions.
Description
Keywords
Exploratory analysis, Mental illness, Social work, Socio-economic, Youth