ACADEMIC STRESS AND PERSONALITY TRAITS AS PREDICTORS OF SUBSTANCE USE AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA
- Peter O. Olapegba
- Sunday O. Onigbogi
- Emmanuel E. Uye
- ( paper pages. 85 - 104 )
Abstract
The use and abuse of substances among adolescents have been a source of concern in youth development in Nigeria. Statistics have shown that the prevalence of substance abuse in Nigeria is 62.4% among adolescents. This study, therefore, examined academic stress and personality traits as predictors of substance use among adolescents in secondary schools in Osun State, Nigeria. The Theory of Planned Behaviour and Transactional Theory of Stress provided the theoretical frameworks, while a cross-sectional design using a survey method was adopted. A purposive sampling technique was used to select three secondary schools(Ilesha High School, Methodist High School and Obokun High School) while the simple random sampling technique was used to select 324 students (males = 168, females = 156, mean age = 14.54, S.D = 2.47). Data was collected using a structured questionnaire comprising demographic variables, substance abuse (á = 0.71), academic stress(á=0.76), and personality traits (á = 0.98). Data was analysed using the t-test for independence mean and multiple regressions at p<0.05. The results show that academic stress had significant influence on substance use among adolescents in secondary schools (t= -13.40; df= 322; p<.05). There was also a significant joint influence of personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience) on substance use [F (5, 318) = 18.81, R = 2.22; p < .05]. Finally, personality traits and academic stress jointly predicted substance use (R = .27, F (2, 321) = 59.39, p<.05). The study concluded that academic stress and personality traits significantly predicted substance use among adolescents in secondary schools. It, therefore, recommended that professional psychologists should develop personality screening tests for early detection of substance use by adolescents thereby helping to improve their academic performance.
Citation
Peter O. Olapegba, Sunday O. Onigbogi, Emmanuel E. Uye.
2021.
"ACADEMIC STRESS AND PERSONALITY TRAITS AS PREDICTORS OF SUBSTANCE USE AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA"
The Nigerian Journal of Economic and Social Studies,
63 (1): 85 - 104.
JEL Classification
I12, J13, P46
