Denis M. Kaye, Prof Nanram B. Longbap & Dr Grace O. Ugboha
Abstract
This study examined the perceived role of school-based psycho-spiritual counselling in strengthening emotional resilience, social resilience and overall resilience among senior secondary school students in Jos Metropolis, Plateau State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. The population comprised Senior Secondary II (SS II) students in public secondary schools across Jos North and Jos South Local Government Areas. A sample of 394 students was selected using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected using a structured instrument titled Psycho-Spiritual Counselling and Resilience Questionnaire (PSCRQ). The instrument was validated by experts in Guidance and Counselling, Educational Psychology and Measurement and Evaluation, while reliability testing yielded a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.86. Data were analysed using mean and standard deviation to answer research questions, while chi-square statistics were used to test hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that school-based psycho-spiritual counselling has a significant perceived role in strengthening emotional resilience, social resilience and overall resilience among senior secondary school students. The study concluded that psycho-spiritual counselling is an effective approach for promoting resilience among students. It was recommended that psycho-spiritual counselling be integrated into school counselling programmes to enhance students’ ability to cope with crisis situations.