Prevalent Coping Strategies for Academic Stress Among Postgraduate Students in Universities in Bayelsa State Across Selected Demographic Variables (Published)
The study investigated the prevalent coping strategies for academic stress adopted by postgraduate students in universities in Bayelsa State, considering selected demographic variables. A descriptive survey design was employed, guided by three research questions. The population comprised all postgraduate students in public universities in Bayelsa State, with a sample of 340 respondents drawn from various institutions. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled “Postgraduate Students’ Coping Strategies and Stress Assessment Questionnaire” (PSCSAQ). The content, face and construct validity of the instrument was done by experts and had a reliability coefficient of 0.83. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and independent sample t-tests. The findings revealed significant differences in coping strategies based on gender, institution type, and age. Male students reported higher use of coping strategies compared to female students, while students from federal university exhibited higher coping strategy usage than those from state universities. Older students showed a higher tendency to employ coping strategies compared to their younger counterparts. The study concluded that postgraduate students in Bayelsa State employ various coping mechanisms, with differences influenced by demographic factors. Recommendations include providing targeted support for students, especially females and those in state institutions, to improve their coping mechanisms in academic settings. Counselling implications of the study suggest the need for universities to develop gender- and age-sensitive mental health and coping skills programs tailored to the diverse needs of their student populations.
Keywords: Age, Coping Strategies, Gender, Postgraduate Students, institution type
Adjustment Strategies of Widows to Widowhood Stress Based on Their Age: The Case of Rivers State, Nigeria (Published)
This study was aimed at investigating influence of age on adjustment strategies employed by widows in coping with widowhood stress in Rivers State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. Two research questions and one hypothesis guided the conduct of the study at 0.05 probability level. A sample of 370 widows in Rivers State was drawn from the population via proportional stratified random sampling technique. Two instruments namely; Stress Level Scale for Widows (SLSW) and Questionnaire for Widows Adjustment Strategies (QWAS), both developed by the researcher were used for data collection. Data were analysed with mean, standard deviation and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance and the statistical package known as SPSS for widows was employed for the analyses. Results showed that; all the eight adjustment strategies (problem solving, cognitive restructuring, express emotion, social support, problem avoidance, wishful thinking, self-criticism and social withdrawal) are adopted by widows in ameliorating widowhood stress; there are slight differences among the mean values of the different age groups with regards to all the adjustment strategies of widows to widowhood stress. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations were made accordingly.
Keywords: Adjustment, Age, Rivers State, Strategies., Stress, Widowhood
EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE AND RATIONAL EMOTIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPIES ON DRUG ABUSE OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN IBADAN (Published)
This study investigated the effects of cognitive behaviour therapy and rational emotive behaviour therapy on drug abuse of senior secondary school students in Ibadan, Nigeria. The study adopted a pretest-posttest, control group Quasi-experimental design. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 120 participants from three randomly selected secondary schools in Ibadan. The participants were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. The two treatment groups were exposed to eight-week training in cognitive behaviour and rational emotive behaviour therapies, while participants in the control group received no training. One validated instrument: School Drug Abuse Rating Scale (DARS) as used and four hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data were analysed using Analysis of Covariance and MCA. The results of the study revealed that there was significant main effect of treatment on the ability of student’s to overcome their drug abuse challenges (F (3,116) = 6.613, p < .05).Also, the findings indicated that Cognitive Behaviour and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapies were effective in effecting a behavioural change in students with challenges of drug abuse. Likewise, the result further revealed that there was no significant difference in the main effect of age between (younger and older); gender (male and female) on the drug abuse act of student participants. Also, the three way interaction effect of treatment with age and gender was not significant. Therefore, school authorities should adopt the two interventions as to effectively manage the challenging issue of drug abuse among secondary school students’ in school
Keywords: Age, Cognitive behaviour therapy, Drug Abuse, Gender, School, Student, and Ibadan., rational emotive behaviour therapy