TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… i
CERTIFICATION PAGE……………………………………………………………………………………………….. ii
DEDICATION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT……………………………………………………………………………………………… iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………………………………….. v-viii
LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ix
LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. x
ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… xi
- BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY……………………………………………………………………………. 1
- STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM…………………………………………………………………………… 3
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
- INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9
- THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK……………………………………………………………………………. 14
- HEALTH BELIEF MODEL…………………………………………………………………………………… 14
- THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOUR………………………………………………………………. 19
- CATELL‘S TRAIT THEORY………………………………………………………………………………. 23
- TRANSTHEORETICAL MODEL………………………………………………………………………… 23
- RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS…………………………………………………………………………………… 34
- THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK……………………………………………………………………………. 14
- INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 36
- STUDY AREA………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 36
- STUDY POPULATION………………………………………………………………………………………….. 37
- INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 42
- HYPOTHESIS ONE……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 44
- HYPOTHESIS TWO……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 45
- HYPOTHESIS THREE…………………………………………………………………………………………… 46
- HYPOTHESIS FOUR……………………………………………………………………………………………… 46
- HYPOTHESIS FIVE……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 46
- HYPOTHESIS SIX…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 47
- HYPOTHESIS SEVEN………………………………………………………………………………………….. 48
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 57
APPENDIXES…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 64
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 4.1:Percentage Distribution of Respondents by Socio-Demographic Characteristics……………………………………………………………………………………… 42
TABLE 4.2: Prevalence Rate of Psychopathological Symptoms among Secondary School Adolescents in Ede, Osun State………………………………………………………. 44
TABLE 4.3a: Multiple Linear Regression Analysis of Psychological Health by Personality Traits…………………………………………………………………………………… 45
TABLE 4.3b:Multiple Linear Regression Coefficient…………………………………………………….. 45
TABLE 4.4: Correlation Matrix Showing Relationship between Personality Traits and Psychopathology……………………………………………………………………………………. 47
TABLE 4.5: Independent Sample T-test showing the Sex-Difference in the levels of Psychological Health of Secondary School Adolescents in Ede, Osun State………………………………………………………………………. 48
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1.1: Conceptual Framework of the Study……………………………………………………………. 33
ABSTRACT
Adolescents are battled by psychological health challenges in present day society. These psychological health disturbances, if not properly managed may persist or reoccur in adulthood. Personality traits may promote or impair adolescents‘ psychological health. This knowledge prompts an urgent need to further identify the extent to which psychological health can be predicted by personality traits. This study investigated personality traits as significant predictors of psychological health. The objectives of the study are to determine if personality traits predict the psychological health of adolescents and to examine the influence of gender on the psychological health status of the adolescents. The study utilized a synthesis of Health Belief Model, Theory of Learned behaviour, Social Cognitive Theory and Trait theories of Personality to explain the intricate processes fundamental to psychological traits as predictors of adolescents‘ psychological health. The study adopted two-stage sampling technique: Stratified sampling was used in selecting the secondary schools used while purposive sampling was used in selecting participants for the study. The participants for this study consist of 614 secondary school adolescents from five secondary schools in Ede, Osun State. Awaritefe Psychological Index (API) and Big Five Inventory (BFI) were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the prevalence of psychopathology among the adolescents while multiple linear regression analysis and t-test for independent samples were used to test the hypothesis. The study revealed that the prevalence of psychological health disorders among secondary school adolescents in Ede ranged from 29.5% (General Somatic disorders) to 54.1% (Mood disorder). The study further displayed that all dimensions of personality traits (extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness) jointly significantly predict psychological health of secondary school adolescents in Ede {F(5, 579)=5.532, p<0.05,R²=.046). However, only neuroticism independently significantly predicts psychological health of secondary school adolescents in Ede. Findings also reveal that female participants
manifested significantly higher levels of psychological health disorders( X =32.82, SD=23.93) than male participants. Conclusion drawn, based on the findings, posit that neurotic tendencies such as anxiety, anger and nervousness must be put under check when spotted in any adolescent as such personality trait is capable of impairing adolescents psychological health. Furthermore, continuous effort must be made to identify other factors that threaten good psychological health of adolescents. Attention must be focused on female adolescents as they tend to display more psychopathological symptoms than their male counterparts.
PERSONALITY TRAITS AS PREDICTORS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN EDE, OSUN STATE
