TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE . . . . . . . i
APPROVAL . . . . . . – ii
CERTIFICATION . . . . . . iii
DEDICATION . . . . . . iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT . . . . . v
TABLE OF CONTENTS . . . . . vi
LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . x
LIST OF APPENDICES . . . . . . xii
ABSTRACT . . . . . . xiii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study . . . . 1
Statement of the Problem . . . . . . 5
Purpose of the Study . .. . . . . 6
Objective of Study . . . . . . 5
Research Questions . . . . . . . 7
Research Hypotheses . . . . . . 7
Significance of the Study . . . . . . 8
Scope of the Study . . . . . . 8
Operational Definition of Terms . . . . . 8
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Concept of mental health . . . . . . 10
Characteristics of Positive Mental Health. . . 11
The School and Mental Health of Children . . . 13
Role of Teachers in Development of positive mental health in Children . . . . . . . . 15
The home mental development of children . . . . 17
The society and mental development in children . 20
Parenting
Pattern and their Effect on Mental Health Development in Children . . . . .
. .
. 21
Authoritarian (Autocratic) Parenting . . . . 22
Authoritative (Democratic) Parenting . . . . 22
Permissive Parenting . . . . . . . 23
Criteria for Guiding against Negative Mental Behavior in Children . 24
Factors
that can Enhance Good Mental Health
Behaviours in Children . . . . . . 25 Theoretical Framework . . . . . . . 26 Summary of Literature. . . . . . . 29
Empirical Studies . . . . . . 30
Summary and analysis of Empirical Studies . . . . 32
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Design . . . . . . . . 33
Area of the study . . . . . . . 33
Population for Study . . . . . . . 34
Sample . . . . . . . . 34
Sampling Procedure . . . . . . . . 35
Instrument for Data Collection . . . . . 36
Validity of the Instrument . . . . . . . 37
Reliability of the Instrument . . . . . . 37
Ethical Clearance . . . . . . 37
Procedure for Data Collection . . . . . 38
Method of Data Analysis . . . . . . 38
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF RESULTS 40
Demographic Characteristics of Respondents . . . 41
Test of Significance . . . . . . . 46
Summary of Findings . . . . . . 56
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND
CONCLUSION
Discussion of Major Findings . . . . . 59
Implication of the Findings . . . . . . 67
Peculiarity and limitation of the Study . . 68
Summary . . . . . . . 68
Conclusion . . . . . . . 69
Recommendations . . . . . . 70
Suggestions for Further Research . . . . 71
REFERENCES . . . . . . 73
APPENDIX . . . . . . . . 77
LIST OF TABLES
Table Title Page
1: Demographic Characteristics of Respondents . . 41
2: Adjusted mean scores and standard deviations for mental health behaviour . . . . 42
3: The 19 highest scored mental health behaviour items 43
4: The 19 Lowest scored mental health behaviour items 44
5: Adjusted mean scores and standard deviations of mental health behaviour of male and female children . . 47
6: Multiple t-test comparison of adjusted mean scores for metal health behaviour of male
and
female children for each sub-scale . . . 47
7: t-test comparison of mean scores for mental health behaviour of males and female children for all variables . . 48
8: Adjusted mean scores and standard deviations
for mental health behaviour of children
of Mothers with formal education and
those with no formal education . . . . 50
9: Multiple t-test comparison of adjusted mean scores
for mental health behaviour of children
of Mothers who had and those who hadn’t formal
education . . . . . . 51
10 : t-test comparison of mean scores for mental health behaviour of children of Mothers who had and those who hadn’t Formal education . . . . . . 52
11: Adjusted means and standard deviations for mental health behaviour of rural and urban children . . . 54
12: Multiple t-test comparison of adjusted sub-scale mean scores for mental health behaviour of rural and urban children . . 55
13 t-test comparison of mean scores for mental
health
behaviour of rural and urban children . . . 55
LIST
OF APPENDICES
Appendix Title Page
1: List of Primary Schools in Enugu
East Local Government Area. . 77
2: Calculation of Sample Size . . . 80
3: Mental Health Assessment Questionnaire . . 81
4: Letter of Introduction . . . . 89
5: Approval from Enugu State
Universal Basic Education Board
. 90
6:
Mean and Standard Deviations of the 57 items of the MHAQ. . 91
7:
Mean and Standard Deviation of the 57 items according to Gender .
95
8:
Mean and Standard Deviation of the 57 items according to
Mother’s Education Level . . . 97
9: Mean and Standard
Deviation of the 57 items according to
Location of Schools . . . . 99
10: Map of Enugu State Showing location of LGAs . . 101
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to assess mental
health status of primary school children in Enugu East Local Government Area of
Enugu State. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study while the
simple random sampling method was used to select the sample size of 308
pupils. A self reporting Mental Health
Assessment Questionnaire (MHAQ) was used to collect information on mental
health status of the children. The face validity of the instrument was done by
project supervisor and two Professors in psychology. The factor analysis was
done using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 17.0. The reliability index was established using a
split half method. The scores obtained were correlated using Pearson Product
Moment Correlation to obtain a coefficient of 0.85 at 0.05 level of
significance. The researcher with the help of four research assistants
administered the questionnaire to the children individually in an interview
over a period of four weeks and retrieved the questionnaire on the spot. Data collected were analyzed. Data analysis
for objective one was done item by item yielding mean and standard deviation
for each item and for each subscale.
T-test analysis was also employed to test for the three hypothesis set
for the study. Findings showed that the
children involved in the study had positive mental health behaviour as over
84.21% of the measuring scale items attracted responses that indicated positive
mental behavior. It was also discovered
that there is no significant difference in the mental health status of boys and
girls (t = 0.105, NS). No significant
difference in the mental health status of children whose mothers had formal
education and those whose mothers hadn’t formal education (t = 0.194, NS). The
result also showed no significant difference in mental health status of the
children from rural and urban schools (t = 0.43, NS). Based on the findings,
the following recommendations were made. That the Primary School Management
Board (PSMB) should, through their office adopt and plan a mental health
programme for primary school children in both urban and rural areas., to
sustain and enhance the positive mental health behaviours that are in primary
school children. Possibly, efforts should be made to include such programmes
and subjects into the syllabus of the schools in Enugu East Education Zone.
Adequate health education of the general public on how to treat the children to
foster development of positive mental health behavior should be carried out in
earnest.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Mental
health behaviour is about how people think, feel, act and react to issues.
People with good mental health tend to have positive attitude, feel good about
themselves and others, act responsively in relationships, have positive
attitude towards things and react reasonably to issues. Good mental health enables every one
including children to develop resilience to cope with pain, disappointments and
sadness, while poor mental health affects children’s ability to concentrate at
school, home and even makes it more difficult for them to learn, communicate
and get along with others (Tidyman 2005).
It is very easy to overlook the value of
mental health in children until problems surface. Yet from early childhood until death, mental
health is the spring board of thinking and communication skills, learning,
emotional growth and self esteem. Success in school, at work, in parenting and
in relationships all rest on a foundation of good mental health. (Tidyman 2005).
Contrary
to popular belief, young children can and do experience serious emotional
problems that are comparable in severity to what we observe in older children
and adults and can have lasting effects (Aggarwal 2003). And in most cases the foundations of many
mental health problems that endure throughout adulthood are established early
in life due to significant adversity in early life that can change the
architecture of the developing brain and increase the likelihood of significant
mental health problems that may emerge either early or years later. Also life circumstances associated with
family stress such as persistent poverty, threatening neighborhoods and very
poor child care conditions raise the risk of serious mental health problems and
undermine healthy functioning in early years. Early childhood adversity of this
kind also increases the risk of adult health and mental health problems because
of its enduring effects on the body and brain development.
Aggarwal
(2003) identified common characteristics of a mentally healthy person as
including having adaptable and resilient mind, conscious control of life,
cheerful and optimistic outlook, well regulated instincts and habits, emotional
balance, insight into one’s own conduct, enthusiasm and reasonable freedom,
capacity to think independently, calm and good temperament, ability to care for
self and others, socially adaptable, realistic imagination and definite
philosophy of life. Also Layman (2002) also delineated characteristics of a
mentally healthy person to include having peace of mind, relative freedom from
tension and anxiety, security, a sense of self worth and ability to deal
constructively with reality, ability to enjoy human contacts, capacity for
mutual satisfaction in social relationships, integration around socially useful
values, flexibility and appropriate balance between self-sufficiency,
willingness to accept help from others, capacity to give and receive affection
and ability to direct hostile feelings into creative and constructive channels.
Furthermore, the individual has the ability to accept frustrations for future
gain, spontaneity and capacity to enjoy life.
Good
mental health is important to everyone across life span. In children, if mental
health is ignored, problem may occur and this can interfere with their
learning, development, relationships and physical health (National Association
of School Psychology 2006). To attain optimum mental health, it is important
that one observes good mental attitudes right from childhood. Just as observing good personal hygiene
boosts good health, practice of good mental behaviour is necessary for good
health.
Nnaka
(1997) noted that good mental health is important for any child to succeed in
school; therefore they deserve to learn all the tasks and behaviour that will
allow them to develop friendship, loving alliance and positive mental health
status.
Mental
health is not simply the absence of mental illness, but having the skills
necessary to cope with life’s challenges (NASP 2006). (WHO 2001) also defined mental health as a
state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities,
cope with normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully and is able
to make meaningful contributions to his or her community.
Positive
mental health status is of utmost importance in overall mental well being which
is reflected in peace of mind, ability to give and receive love, freedom from
anxiety, sense of security, sense of self worth and the ability to deal
constructively with reality (Layman 2002).
This means that a person should enjoy human contacts, have mutual
satisfaction in social relationship, be flexible and be able to balance work
and play, willing to accept help from others, give and receive affection, and
the ability to direct hostile feelings into creative or constructive channels.
But
it has been observed by the researcher that in recent times children are very
restive and their restiveness has resulted in wanton attitude that are
detrimental to health and well-being. It
has also been observed by the researcher that poor mental attitude has led to
school problems such as poor academic performance, truancy and school
dropout. This has posed a lot of
questions as to whether the children are responsible for such behaviors or
whether they are not properly understood and cared for by homes, schools and
society.
According
to Ladd (2000) children who do not have basic level of social competence by the
age of 6 years may have problem with relationships in adult life. Also poor
interaction with others may lead to poor mental health, low academic
achievement and other school difficulties (Katz and Maclellan 1997). This has
made it more and more imperative for children to be understood from the point
of view of those elements that make for good mental health that should be
properly inculcated in them through enhancement of positive mental health
practice. So as to prevent poor mental
health and maladjustment in later life, because as noted by (Deserlais 1995),
poor mental health is common among people with relative social disadvantages,
and the primary school has a mixture of these children.
Broverman
(1995) also commented that gender is influential in determining the standards
of mental health in children. Thus
gender, school type and educational level of the mothers or child rearers may
differ regarding children’s mental health status.
It
is important to study the mental health status of primary school children
especially now that mental health promotion has become an integral part of
public health (WHO 2001). Again adequate
exposure to positive mental health practices will enhance good mental health
status which are necessary for the children to be responsible learners as well
as being able to achieve maximally from school programmes and grow up to be
responsible adults that the society will require in future, as well as avert
the burden of mental illness. Because analysis has shown that in Britain alone
an estimated 180,000 are affected with mental illness. (Beers.2002). According
to Mind (2003), in U.S. 2 out of 4 persons would experience a mental problem at
one point or the other in life. Here in Nigeria, one would wonder if about the
same number would not suffer from mental problem. Primary school children can equally be
affected leading to disruption of functioning at home and in school. This, according to Carnona (2003), could
result in school failure, family conflicts, drug abuse, violence and suicide.
To overcome these, assessment of mental health status in children becomes
imperative as the children require optimum level of good mental health to be
able to cope with life stresses. Assessment will reveal mental health status of
children and prescribe intervention studies or strategies where necessary.
Statement
of the Problem
ASSESSING MENTAL HEALTH STATUS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN ENUGU EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ENUGU STATE
