Influence Of Sex And Educational Level On Psychological Well-Being Among Psychiatric Outpatients In Selected Tertiary Health Institutions In Benue State Nigeria

Psychological well-being among psychiatric outpatients remains a pressing concern globally, with disparities influenced by socio-demographic factors such as sex and educational attainment. The study investigated the influence of sex and educational level on psychological wellbeing among psychiatric outpatients in selected tertiary health institutions in Benue State, Nigeria. The study utilized a cross-sectional survey design where two hundred and twenty-five (225) psychiatric outpatients; 125 (55.6%) males and 100 (44.4%) females were sampled for the study with the mean age of 39 years. The main and interaction effect of sex and educational level on psychological well-being of psychiatric was hypothesized and tested using Two-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). There was no significant main effect of sex on psychological well-being, F (1, 223) = 0.88, p = .349, partial η² = .004. Also, there was a significant main effect of educational level on psychological well-being, F (3, 223) = 3.15, p = .026, partial η² = .041. Furthermore, interaction effect between sex and educational level was statistically significant, F (3, 223) = 9.17, p < .001, partial η² = .110. It was concluded that sex alone does not significantly influence psychological well-being but educational level plays a notable role while highlighting education and sex interplay in psychological well-being. It was therefore recommended that since educational level significantly influences psychological well-being, tertiary health institutions should integrate mental health literacy programs into outpatient care.