Guidance and Counselling Services and Mental Well-Being of Individuals with Special Needs in A.A. Raji Special School Sokoto
*1M.S Nawait & 2Asma’u Mustapha
*1&2Department of Counselling Psychology, Sokoto State University, Sokoto Email: muknawait@gmail.com
Abstract
This study investigated the impact of guidance and counselling services on the mental well-being of individuals with special needs in senior secondary schools in Sokoto Metropolis. Two objectives and two hypotheses guided the research. The study adopted a descriptive survey design with a sample of 100 students from A.A Raji Special School through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Guidance and Counselling Services and Mental Well-Being Questionnaire (GCSMWQ) and analyzed using Chi-square tests at 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that both academic and personal counselling services significantly enhance the mental well-being of students with special needs. Academic counselling was found to reduce academic stress, improve study habits and boost performance, while personal counselling enhanced self-esteem, stress management and emotional adjustment. The study rejected both null hypotheses, confirming a positive relationship between counselling services and mental well-being. However, challenges such as inadequate trained counsellors, insufficient facilities and cultural stigma were noted. The study recommends recruiting more trained counsellors, integrating counselling into inclusive education policies and increasing awareness to reduce stigma. Adequate funding and resource allocation are essential to sustain and improve these services for learners with disabilities.
Keywords
Guidance and Counselling, Mental well-being & Special needs students
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