SOCIAL SUPPORT, SELF ESTEEM AND RELIGIOCITY AS PREDICTORS OF DEPRESSION AMONG YOUTHS IN NIGERIA (A CASE STUDY OF IBADAN, OYO STATE)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The term depression among Nigerian youths cannot be mentioned without being attached with social support, self-esteem and religiosity as its determinant.

Depression can be said to be a state of being sad. It is a grave mood swing or disorder that negatively influences how one thinks, feels about everything and behaves. It has a slight disparity from normal sadness, clinical depression, also called major depressive disorder, is consistent and largely comes between or interrupts the proper life functioning, Alien 1976. Depression among youths is a serious issue and cannot be ignored. Untreated depression or its symptoms can last for weeks, months or years.

Putting together the genetic, chemical, biological, psychological, social and environmental factors will definitelygive rise or birth to disorder, Aseltine 1973. Depression is most times a sign that some mental, emotional and physical aspects of a person’s life are not in good shape. Other sicknesses like Chronic illness, heart disease or cancer may be accompanied by depression.

Some of the symptoms of clinical depression include; frequent depressed mood, nearly every day, Markedly diminished interest or fun in activities most of the day, nearly every day, Changes in appetite that result in weight losses or gains unrelated to dieting, Changes in sleeping patterns, Loss of energy or increased fatigue, Increased alcohol or drug use,  thoughts of suicide, etc.

Depression is a conventional, frequent psychiatric problem youths face and is linked with functional state of being diminished, suicide, and psychiatric medical condition, and also future academic failure, marital difficulties and failure, unemployment, substance abuse, and legal problems, etc.  Depression is a great harm to human health and a threat to the society that is why research has concentrated on pointing out risk factors for this threat. A powerful perspective is that deficiencies in social support maximize the risk for depression. Moreover, the concept or idea that a person is accepted and valued in one’s interpersonal environment encourages self- esteem, confidence, and efficacy, which surround depression. The stress-buffering model stresses that social support mollifies the link between stressful life events and depression. Deficiencies in perceived support have foreseen future rise and growth in depressive symptoms among youths. Research works that evaluated both parental support and peer support discovered that only the former showed expected effects.

Based on our everyday experience, we have discovered that people who have low self-esteem are more likely to feel sad, betrayed, lonely, and dejected, rejected. In accordance to this, numerous theories of depression insists that self-esteem plays a major role in the etiology of depressive disorders, and operational definitions of depression include low self-esteem as a possible symptom. Over the years, we have known that self-esteem and depression are related based on verification. People with low self-esteem are more likely to be depressed, both clinical levels and the lower forms of depressed affect, and depressed people are also prone to feel worthless, incompetent, and ineffective.

Religion to some people is the feelings, acts, and experiences, of individual men in their seclusion, so far as they arrest or grasp themselves to stand in relation to what they perceive as divine.

One of the most well and careful researched areas of mental illness in relation to religiosity are depression. A good number of research works on religion and depression have been cross-sectional, raising a host of validity questions. To our understanding, no study to date has carefully looked into the role of religiosity in mental health in individuals at high risk for depression. Now that the relationship between depression and religiosity has been built in the literature, there is a loud call for researchers to move to the next level of studies that will encourage understanding the psychological and social processes that give rise to this modest but robust association.

STATEMENT OF THE GENERAL PROBLEM

Depression is a condition that has regrettably been on the increase in the sub Saharan part of Africa precisely the West African sub region. The negative implications of depression has taken its toll on the nation, this may be as a result of present harsh economic condition which has led to death of several people most especially the Nigerian youth who happens to be the leader of tomorrow. the constant lack of social support to ensure their growth and development which precipitates to low self esteem has led the youths to diverse crimes in other to survive which in most cases are not self sustaining, this leads to depression. In cases where depression becomes high, the number of deaths recorded would increase, crime rate increases and it would ultimately affect the nation’s economy negatively.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The major aim of the study is to examine the impact of social support, self esteem and religiocity as predictors to depression among youths in Nigeria. Other specific objectives of the study include;

1. To examine the rate of depression occurrences in Nigeria.
2. To determine the major factors that causes depression.
3. To examine the impact of social support, self esteem and religiocity on depression of youths in Nigeria.
4. To examine the factors that reduces the incidences of depression among youths in Nigeria.
5. To study the negative consequences of depression on national integration and development.
6. To recommend ways of reducing the occurrences of depression in youths.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What is the rate of depression occurrences in Nigeria?
2. What are the major factors that cause depression?
3. What is the impact of social support, self esteem and religiocity on depression of youths in Nigeria?
4. What are the factors that reduce the incidences of depression among youths in Nigeria?
5. What are the negative consequences of depression on national integration and development?
6. What are the ways of reducing the occurrences of depression in youths?

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

H0: Social support, self esteem and religiocity has no impact on depression of youths in Nigeria.

H1: Social support, self esteem and religiocity has a significant impact on depression of youths in Nigeria.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study would greatly benefit the Nigerian youth, educationists and psychologists as it would reveal the influence of self support, self esteem and religiocity as predictors of depression among youths in Nigeria. The study would also benefit students, researchers and scholars who are interested in developing further study on the subject matter.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The study is restricted to social support, self esteem and religiocity as predictors of depression among youths in Nigeria using a case study of Ibadan in Oyo state.

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.