Determinants of the Effects of Drug Abuse on the Emotional Health of Senior Secondary School Students in the Calabar Metropolis and Calabar South LGA of Cross River State

Implications for Counselling

Abstract

This paper examined the determinants of the effects of drug abuse on the emotional health of students in Calabar Metropolis and Calabar South Local Government Area (LGA) of Cross River State, Nigeria. Three research questions were asked, and three corresponding null hypotheses were tested. Literature was reviewed according to the sub-variables used in the study. An ex-post facto research design was adopted for this study. The population of the study comprised all Senior Secondary School two students of the 2022/2023 academic session in public Secondary Schools in Calabar Metropolis and Calabar South LGA of Cross River State Nigeria. Four hundred and fourteen (414) respondents were selected from the population of 4822 for the study. A self-developed and validated Influencers of Drug Abuse and Emotional Health Questionnaire (IDAEHQ) designed by the researchers was used to collect data. The instrument was trial tested for reliability and results obtained showed a reliability index between 0.71 to 0.91 which was considered high enough to justify the use of the instrument. The independent t-test was the test statistics used for data analysis at a .05 level of significance. The results of the analysis revealed that the emotional health of students with peer influence on drug use is significantly different from those without peer influence on drug use. Also, the emotional health of students with parental influence on drug use is significantly different from those without parental influence on drug use. The Emotional health of students with community influence on drug use is significantly different from those without community influence on drug use. Based on the results of the findings, recommendations were made on the need for the inclusion of drug education in the secondary schools’ and tertiary institutions' curricula. This will make adolescents aware of the effects of taking drugs. The Government should plan and organize workshops and Symposia from time to time in secondary schools and villages to advise adolescents on how to use drugs. Being that adolescents abuse drugs because they see them advertised on television, the Government through the health authorities should censor advertisements before they are carried over the air.