When Help Is Far Away: Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Care for Secondary School Students in Abuja, Nigeria, and Implications for Social Work Practice

Purpose : The mental health of students determines their social, psychological and emotional well-being. It also facilitates good academic performance. The absence of mental health services results in mental health challenges as students are vulnerable to issues such as academic pressure, stress, burnout and depression. Therefore, the study looked at barriers to accessing mental health care for government secondary school students in Abuja, Nigeria. Materials and methods : In-depth Interview was used to collect data from 12 secondary school students (6 males and 6 females) across the six area councils in Abuja. Three key themes stood out from the data collection guides. These are “the prevalence of mental health challenges,” “barriers to accessing mental health services”, and “strategies to improve access and utilisation of mental health care.” Results : Findings from the study revealed a high prevalence of mental health challenges among government secondary students resulting from stress and burnout arising from course overload, unhealthy competition among students, lack of awareness and knowledge on how to manage their mental wellbeing and high expectations from parents, friends and classmates. Further findings also identified barriers to accessing mental health services, including (a) absence of professional care providers, (b) required cost , (c) religious beliefs and (e) lack of effective mental health care facility. The study also revealed strategies to improve access and utilisation of mental health care, such as (a) providing experts in mental health care, (b) establishing mental health care facilities , (c) public education and enlightenment and (d) adopting culturally-based psycho-education. Discussion and conclusion : These findings have implications for social workers who have a critical role in bridging the gaps in mental health services, providing essential support that helps students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Social workers serve as advocates, counsellors, and facilitators within the educational system; integral to the school mental health workforce and the leading mental health care service providers in educational settings.