Mental Distress among Secondary School Teachers in Kwara State: Implication for Counselling
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47453/edulead.v8i1.4360Keywords:
Mental distress, Secondary school teachers, Teacher burnout, Counselling interventions, Occupational stress, Educational policy reformAbstract
Mental distress has become an increasing occupational health concern within the teaching profession, particularly in resource-constrained educational systems. In Nigeria, secondary school teachers operate under challenging conditions characterised by excessive workload, overcrowded classrooms, delayed salary payments, inadequate instructional resources, and limited institutional support. These systemic pressures heighten teachers’ vulnerability to psychological strain, emotional exhaustion, burnout, and reduced professional effectiveness. This study aims to examine the prevalence, causes, and consequences of mental distress among secondary school teachers in Kwara State, Nigeria, and to explore the implications for counselling interventions and educational policy reform. The study adopts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach to synthesise empirical and scholarly works published between 2012 and 2025. Relevant peer-reviewed journal articles, policy documents, and academic reports were systematically identified, screened, and analysed using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. A thematic synthesis method was employed to categorise findings into prevalence, causal factors, consequences, and intervention strategies. The findings reveal that mental distress among secondary school teachers is widespread and largely driven by structural and occupational stressors rather than individual vulnerability alone. Mental distress significantly reduces teaching effectiveness, lowers job satisfaction, increases absenteeism and turnover, and negatively affects teacher–student relationships. The study concludes that addressing teacher mental distress requires both school-based counselling interventions and systemic institutional reforms. By reframing mental distress as a structural educational issue, this research contributes a context-specific framework and practical recommendations aimed at improving teacher well-being and strengthening educational quality in Kwara State and similar settings
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