An Assessment of Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviours of Adolescents and Young People in Bauchi State, Nigeria: A Cross-sectional Study
Abstract:
Adolescence and young adulthood are critical developmental phases often marked by a high prevalence of mental health issues, including in Nigeria. This study evaluated the prevalence of depression and mental health help-seeking behaviours of adolescents and young people in Bauchi State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional community-based survey was conducted in May 2026 among adolescents and young people aged 15 to 24 years in Bauchi Local Government Area, Bauchi State, Nigeria, using a multistage sampling technique. Quantitative data were collected from 390 participants using a three-part questionnaire that included descriptive statistics, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to measure depressive symptoms, and the General Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ, V15) to assess the likelihood of seeking support from various sources. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0, employing descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-square tests, and ANOVA, with significance set at p<0.05. The mean age of respondents was 18.84± 2.59 years. Prevalence of depression using PHQ-9 was 19.2% mild, 58.7% moderate, 15.6% moderately severe, and 2.6% severe. Overall, the mean PHQ-9 score was 11.65±3.6, indicating moderate depression. Young people (20 to 24 years) exhibited significantly higher mean depression scores (12.3±3.6) compared to adolescents (11.2±3.5, p=0.004). Overall, adolescents and young people in Bauchi State sought help mostly from their parents/guardians (x̄=5.58, SD=1.076), siblings/close relatives (x̄=5.31, SD=0.940), religious leaders (x̄=5.28, SD=1.160), and close friends (x̄=5.01, SD=1.123). There was no significant difference in help-seeking behaviours by gender and age group (p>0.05); however, the study found that more females sought help from online resources than males (t=-2.202, p=0.028), and that more males would not seek help (x̄=4.16, SD=1.302) as often as females (x̄=3.87, SD=1.490; t=2.099, p=0.036). While help-seeking behaviours tended to decrease with increasing depression severity, this was not found to be statistically significant (p=0.0060). The findings reveal a high burden of depression, with a preference for seeking help from informal sources and religious leaders. Mental health interventions in Nigeria should be decentralized into community and religious structures, while policy efforts should improve community-level identification of depression and strengthen referral pathways for specialized care.References:
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