Effect of Mental Health Education on Risky Behaviours among in-School Adolescents in Central Senatorial Disrict Kogi State Nigeria

Adolescents have been observed to be encountered with ill-health and premature death worldwide because of their engagement in preventable risky behaviours but mental health education has been identified to have the potential to remedy. Mental health education is an intervention programme design to bring about positive mental health among in-school adolescents. Mental health education risky-behaviour inventory (r- 0.81) was used on 436 participants for the study. Three hypotheses on effect of mental health education on risky behaviour, religion and 2-way interaction effect on religion among those exposed to treatment and control group) were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Data was analysed = .83; p >.05), but with ANCOVA. There were no significant effect between treatment and control groups (F (1,427) experimental group obtained higher (x̄ = 34.85) than control group ( ̄ = 34.29). Also, treatment by religion (F = 2.9; (1,427) p > .05) was not significant but Christians obtained higher mean score (x̄ = 34.88; adj. dev. = .31) than the Muslim (x̄ = 34.02; adj. dev. =.55). 2-way interaction effect of treatment and religion (F =.00; p > .05) was not significant but (1,427) slight higher posttest score were observed. Therefore mental health education is assumed to be able to effect positive health behaviour and healthy lifestyle among adolescents. Mental health education is suggested for inclusion in secondary school curriculum.