PERCEIVED INFLUENCE OF HUMANIST AND SYSTEMIC APPROACHES TO COUNSELLING ON SUICIDE PREVENTION AMONG 21ST CENTURY YOUTHS IN OBIO-AKPOR LGA, RIVERS STATE

Abstract

This study examined the extent humanist approach to counselling and systemic approach to counselling influence suicide prevention among 21st century youths in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. Two research questions and two corresponding null hypotheses guided the conduct of the study. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions and independent t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Descriptive research design was used for the study. The population for the study consists of 545 youths in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State and sample size of 230 was drawn via purposive sampling technique. The instrument for the study was a questionnaire titled, Humanist and Systemic approach to counselling influence on suicide prevention Questionnaire (HSACISP). The instrument validated by experts had a reliability index of 0.77 via Cronbach Alpha technique. Results showed that humanist and systemic approaches to counselling influence on suicide prevention among 21st century youths in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State were positive and humanist approach to counselling significantly influences suicide prevention based on gender among the youths but systemic approach to counselling does not significantly influence suicide prevention based on gender among the youths. It was recommended that the result-oriented approaches to counselling be used by counsellors on the prevention of suicide among youths.