Nigerian experienced economic recession between the year 2016 and 2017. This study assessed the perceived effects of economic meltdown on mental status and coping systems among selected residents of rural community at Owode-Ede in Osun State, Nigeria. Three hundred and fifty-nine respondents were selected from the study setting using a multistage sampling technique. A validated self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire was divided into different sections based on the research questions. It’s reliability was deemed satisfactory after it was pilot tested. Findings revealed that most of the respondents understand economic meltdown to mean scarcity or unavailability of otherwise available resources (78.3%) which majority blamed on corruption of the government (93.3%). Occasional use of drugs (40.1%), feeling inadequate or inferior (32.0%), feeling sad and down and losing interest in usual activities (29.2%) were reported as common mental health effects of the meltdown on them. Borrowing from families and friends (46.5%), acquisition of new skills (42.6%), reduction in daily menu (41.2%) and operating small scale businesses (37.9%) were the important coping measures adopted by these rural residents. There was a high level of knowledge on the concept of mental health among the respondents. Most of them also demonstrated a good understanding of economic meltdown, the cause of which they blamed on corruption of the government. They claimed that the use of drugs, feeling inadequate or inferior, feeling sad and down and losing interest in their usual activities were the mental health effects of the meltdown on them. The respondents borrow from families and friends, acquire of new skills, reduced daily menu and operate small scale businesses to cope with the economic hardship.
Keywords: coping residents., economic meltdown, mental status
