COMBATING SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN SCHOOLS: COUNSELING APPROACHES TO IMPROVE STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH AND ACHIEVEMENT

Abstract

The study examined Influence of Substance Abuse on Depression and Academic Achievement among Senior Secondary School Students in North-central, Nigeria: Implications for Guidance. The study looked at substance abuse, types of substance abuse, and the cause of substance abuse and effects of substance abuse on academic achievement. The study concluded that schools can effectively address the influence of substance abuse on depression and academic achievement with a holistic approach that involves education, early intervention, strong support systems, policy reinforcement, and collaboration with families and communities. The study therefore recommended that there should be comprehensive education and awareness programmers on the dangers of substance abuse and its correlation with mental health issues like depression, as well as its impact on academic achievement, guidance counsellors should introduce early screening and intervention so as to identify students at risk of substance abuse and depression, government at all level should strengthening support systems by ensuring students have access to counselling services and peer support groups that address both substance abuse and depression, stakeholders should emphasize collaboration between schools, families and communities to reduce substance abuse and its consequences on students, finally, researchers globally should conduct a continuous research and data collection on the prevalence of substance abuse and its correlation with depression and academic achievement of secondary school students.