Journal of Professional Counselling and Psychotherapy Research

RELIGIOSITY AS A PREDICTOR OF MORAL RECTITUDE AMONG SCHOOL-LEAVERS OF FAITH-BASED SECONDARY SCHOOL IN OGUN EAST SENATORIAL DISTRICT, NIGERIA

Tolu Ogunleye — 2024-10-18

Moral decadence and all shapes of indiscipline are on the increase globally. It is generally assumed that imparting basic religious instructions to children will help to minimize the problem, but this is not certain. Therefore, this study investigated religiosity as a predictor of moral rectitude among school leavers of faith-based Secondary Schools in Ogun East Senatorial District. One research question and one research hypothesis were formulated and tested for this study. Two research instruments were used to generate data. Hypotheses were tested using correlation method. Descriptive research design was employed and sample of the study was selected using multi stage sampling procedure. One thousand nine hundred and twenty(1920) faith-based secondary school students form the sample size. The findings of the study identified significant prediction of religiosity on moral rectitude of school leavers of faith -based schools in the study area. Therefore, the statement of the null hypothesis was rejected. The result implies that religiosity significantly contributed to moral rectitude of school leavers of faith-based secondary schools in Ogun-East Senatorial District. In line with the finding of the study, it was recommended that for the society to address moral laxity among adolescents, moral education should be made compulsory in schools and colleges . Regular webinar should be organized for school counsellors to assist them better in discharging their roles of imparting moral rectitude to students.

KEYNOTE PAPER

Richards E. Ebeh — 2024-10-18

This paper explores the role of counselling psychology in driving sustainable development across various sectors in Nigeria, including education, healthcare, and organizations. Nigeria faces challenges in these areas, and counselling psychology offers a transformative tool to address them. This study discusses sustainable development in Nigeria, emphasizing the importance of balancing economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection. In the context of education, counselling psychology contributes to student well-being, academic performance, inclusive education, resilience, and coping skills. In healthcare, it provides vital mental health support, empowers patients, addresses healthcare disparities, promotes holistic well-being, and integrates into healthcare systems. In organizations, counselling psychology enhances employee well-being, resolves conflicts, develops leadership, manages change, fosters team collaboration, shapes workplace culture, facilitates training, motivates employees, guides ethical decision-making, promotes diversity and inclusion, and contributes to talent retention and community engagement. The paper concludes that counselling psychology is valuable for achieving sustainable development in Nigeria across these sectors. This paper emphasizes the importance of policy advocacy and interdisciplinary collaboration for effectively integrating counselling psychology. By prioritizing the mental and emotional well-being of individuals, counselling psychology plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainable development in Nigeria.

EFFECT OF HIV POSITIVE TEST AND GENDER ON STRESS IN CLIENTS SCREENED IN KANO

Aminu Saidu — 2024-10-18

This is an exploratory psychophysiological study. The study investigated the stress level of newly tested HIV^+ve males and females. The indicator of stress in this study is blood pressure (BP) which has two readings; systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). High SBP and/or DBP were indicative of stress. Two null hypotheses were postulated and tested. Cross sectional design and convenience sampling were used in this study. A sample of 40 participants comprising of 12 males HIV^+ve; 28 females HIV^+ve screened in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano participated in the study. The BP of each participant was measured with mercurial sphygmomanometer after post-test counselling and disclosure of participants’ serostatus. Data analysis was conducted with Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). The results indicated that there was significant difference between the SBP readings of males HIV^+ve and females HIV^+ve. There was no significant difference between the DBP readings of males HIV^+ve and females HIV^+ve. The post hoc findings indicated two widows recorded highest SBP and one widow highest DBP reading(s). Clinical psychologist should be employed to give psychotherapy to clients that tested HIV^+ve with high SBP and/or DBP, with attention to the widows.

COPING STRATEGIES AND CAREGIVER’S BURDEN AMONG PRIMARY CAREGIVERS OF WOUNDED IN ACTION SOLDIERS IN 44 NIGERIAN REFERENCE HOSPITAL KADUNA

S.E. Oloke — 2024-10-18

Caregivers of wounded soldiers face significant challenges that can lead to caregiver burden. This study examined the impact of different coping strategies on caregiver burden among primary caregivers of wounded-in-action soldiers at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna. A cross-sectional study was conducted using purposive sampling, involving 91 caregivers. Participants were predominantly male (58.2%), aged 18 to 64, and were primarily siblings (79.1%) or spouses (16.5%) of the wounded soldiers. Three hypotheses were tested using simple linear regression to assess the relationship between emotion-focused, avoidant, and task-oriented coping strategies and caregiver burden. Results showed that emotion-focused coping and avoidant coping were found to be significant positive predictors of caregiver burden. Conversely, task-oriented coping emerged as a significant negative predictor of caregiver burden. The findings indicate that caregivers who rely more on emotion-focused or avoidant coping strategies experience higher levels of burden, while those employing task-oriented coping strategies tend to experience less burden. This study highlights the crucial role of coping strategies in determining the level of stress and burden experienced by caregivers of wounded soldiers. The study recommended that integrated support systems and providing training on effective coping strategies to help caregivers manage the challenges associated with their role should be implemented. These interventions could potentially reduce caregiver burden and improve the overall well-being of both caregivers and the wounded soldiers they support.

ROLES OF PARENTS’ EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, ENVIRONMENT AND GENDER ON THE TEENAGERS’ CAREER CHOICES

Miracle I. Kennedy — 2024-10-18

The study investigated the roles of parents’ educational attainment, environment and gender on the teenagers’ career choices. Three alternate hypotheses were postulated and tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted survey design and Multi-stage sampling technique. Purposive sampling technique was used for selection of cities and secondary schools used for the study, while simple random sampling technique was used to select 400 teenagers from the 8 sampled secondary schools in the two Cities (Owerri and Aba). The participants comprised of 200 male and 200 female teenagers within the age bracket of 13 to 19 years, with mean age of 16.24 and standard deviation age of 1.43. A reliable and validated instrument developed by Mbagwu and Ajaegbu (2016) titled Teenagers’ Career Choice Scale (TCCS)) was used for data collection. Data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential (Chi-square) statistics. The results confirmed the hypotheses. Parents’ educational attainment has significant relationship with career choices of teenagers. Environment has significant relationship with career choices of teenagers. Gender has significant relationship with career choices of teenagers. The study recommends among others that parents should avoid making negative comments about different careers in the presence of their children. This is because teenagers are susceptible to comments parents make about good or bad professions as this could make them to lose interest in their dream careers.

CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AND SUBSTANCE USE AS PREDICTORS OF DEPRESSION AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL BOYS IN OWERRI, IMO STATE

Juliana C Njoku — 2024-10-18

This study investigated childhood trauma and substance use as predictors of depression among secondary school boys in Owerri. Four hundred (400) participants were selected from four (4) secondary schools within Owerri using convenience sampling method. Participants were aged between 13-15years, with mean age of 14 and standard deviation of 1.02. Three instruments, Symptoms Distress Checklist -90 (SCL-90) subscale D which measures depression, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) were used to test the variables. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. Three hypotheses were tested using a two-step hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Findings of the study indicated that there was a significant inverse relationship between depression and childhood trauma, and an insignificant positive relationship between depression and substance use. This supports the importance of early identification and intervention for individuals who experience childhood trauma. It is therefore recommended that childhood trauma should be regularly assessed by mental health professionals who can implement targeted interventions to mitigate the development of depression in later life. Also, implementation of early intervention programs that target children and adolescents who have experienced childhood trauma or are at risk of engaging in substance use should be encouraged. Again, such interventions should focus on providing psychoeducation, coping skills, and resilience-building strategies to mitigate the impact of trauma and reduce the likelihood of substance use.