Activity Schedule And Anticipation Training As Counselling Strategies In Managing Mild-depression Among Nigerian Adolescents

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of Activity Schedule and Anticipation
Training as counselling strategies in managing mild depression among Nigerian adolescents. Six Senior Secondary Schools were randomly selected from three Education Districts in Lagos State. The total population of SS 2 students available for the study in the six schools was 2,982. To select the participants for the study, The Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) was administered to assess the cognitive, affective, psychomotor, somatic and social interpersonal dimensions of depression in the students. The SDS has a test-retest reliability coefficient of 0.93, showing good stability. After the baseline assessment, the total sample for the study comprised 96 participants. The sample accommodated all the characteristics of participants in terms of age and gender from the senior secondary schools chosen for the study. The two counselling techniques (Activity Schedule AS and Anticipation Training AT) were effective in managing mild depression (lack of concentration, feelings of guilt and worthlessness, persistent sad and empty moods). There was no significant gender difference in the post-test scores of participants across the three experimental conditions.

Key words: Mild depression, Activity Schedule Therapy and Anticipation