Parental Verbal Abuse, Substance Use and Self-Esteem as Predictors of Mental Health among In-School Adolescents in Lagos, Nigeria

Objective: Mental health has remained an issue that affects various age groups with different levels of outcomes. One age group that needs urgent attention is the in-school adolescents. Studies have used various predictors to explore in-school adolescents’ mental health with varied results. Therefore, this study investigated parental verbal abuse, substance use and self-esteem as predictors of mental health among in-school adolescents in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted while purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to select three local government areas and 200 in-school adolescents for the study. Data were collected using General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Hare Self-esteem Scale, Verbal Abuse Questionnaire and Substance Use Scale and analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Results: The results revealed that parental verbal abuse, substance use and self-esteem jointly predicted mental health among study participants [R2=.12, F (4,199) = 6.64, p <.05]. Also, parental verbal abuse (β = -.20, p < .05) and self-esteem (β = -.20, p < .05) independently predicted mental health among study participants. However, substance use (β = -.11, p >.05) did not independently predict mental health among study participants. Conclusion: The study concludes that parental verbal abuse, substance use and self-esteem are strong predictors of mental health among study participants. The paper recommended that in order to enhance the mental health of in-school adolescents, government and other stakeholders should advocate for the development and implementation of policies that prioritize mental health support and resources for adolescents within Lagos State and Nigeria.