Assessment and management of proneness to suicide among in-school adolescents in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed and managed proneness to suicide among in-school adolescents in Lagos state. Quasi-experimental pre-test/ post-test control group design was used for this study. The population of the study comprised all Senior Secondary two (SS11) students in Lagos state. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select a sample size of 66 Senior Secondary two students comprising of thirty one (31) males and thirty five (35) females. The instruments used to obtain data for the study were Life Attitude Scale Short Form (LAS-SF), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Modified Scale for Suicide Ideation (MSSI). Two research questions and hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The pre-test and post test scores were analysed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy significantly reduced depression among in-school adolescents prone to suicide. Suicide Ideation reduced significantly among the group exposed to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy than the control group.. The study recommends that school counsellors should acquaint themselves with Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy so as to manage adolescents with proneness to suicide