SOURCES, NATURE OF STRESS AND COUNSELLING NEEDS AMONG WIDOWS IN SAKI WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

This study investigated the sources, nature of stress and counselling needs of widows in Saki West Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria.Three research questions were raised and answered, while six hypotheses were postulated and tested in the study.The study adopted a descriptive survey design.The purposive sampling technique was used to draw 100 widows as the sample for the study.A questionnaire titled "Sources, Nature of Stress and Counselling Needs of Widows Questionnaire (SNSCNWQ)" was designed and used by the researcher to collect data for the study.The instrument was validated by experts for face and content validity.The test-retest method was used to ascertain the reliability of the instrument and a coefficient of 0.77 was gotten.The data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.The result of the study revealed that the sources of stress among widows include raising the children, educating the children, raising finance for sustenance, and loneliness of widowhood among others.It also revealed that the nature of stress among widows was: emotional stress, physical stress and psycho-sexual stress, counselling needs of widows included counselling on adjustment to the 'new normal'; stress management; overcoming the grief, personal and financial development, and that the widows differ significantly in their sources of stress and counselling needs, based on age at bereavement and nature of death, but they do not differ in their nature of stress, based on age at bereavement and nature of death.It was recommended among others that, counsellors in collaboration with community leaders and interested organisations should provide community-based counselling services with comprehensive coverage of the needs of widows.