Coping strategies of psychosocial challenges facing the aged in Owerri, Nigeria: Implications for counselling practice
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Date
2020
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Publisher
Department of Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Abstract
Given that the psychosocial challenges facing the aged are detrimental to their well-being; this study therefore, investigated the psychosocial challenges as well as the coping strategies adopted by the aged in Owerri, Imo State. A qualitative study that employed Focus Group Discussion was used for the study where 24 elderly persons were purposively selected from Imo town. The validity of the structured items was established by experts in the Department of Counsellor Education and the Department of Psychology, University of Ilorin. The sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The results indicated that depreciation of good health, low mood, financial constraint, loneliness and isolation were the major psychosocial challenges identified by the participants in that community. It was suggested that sensitization campaign should be arranged for the aged in order to ensure healthy living in old age. Counsellors should therefore enlighten the aged to seek for group counselling as it helps to reduce stress and alleviate problems. Aged and elderly are used interchangeably in this study.
Description
Keywords
Coping strategy, Aged/Elderly persons, Psychosocial challenges, Counselling
Citation
Alwajud-Adewusi, M.B. (2020): Coping strategies of psychosocial challenges facing the aged in Owerri, Nigeria: Implications for counselling practice. Port Harcourt Journal of Educational Studies, 5(3), 36-41