Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of secondary school students

There have been increasing reports on the impact of social, psychological, and environmental factors on the mental health of secondary school students in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated students' vulnerability with its negative economic and health implications. Therefore, this study examined the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of secondary school students in Ibadan North-West Local Government Area, Oyo State. It adopted a quantitative approach through the descriptive survey research design. A multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted, and data were collected using a self-developed questionnaire with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.70. The study sampled 500 students, 296 females, and 204 males. Findings revealed that students faced significant mental health challenges during the pandemic, including difficulties with online classes (87%), fear of infection (76.8%), sleep disturbances (70.4%), and feelings of loneliness (53.2%). Further analysis identified the most common mental health issues as confusion (84.4%), stress (78.6%), eating problems (75.4%), and depression (75.2%). These findings underscore the severe mental health challenges students experience when their daily academic routines are disrupted. There is an urgent need to develop effective interventions to address these growing mental health concerns, particularly during periods of significant disruption.