COUNSELLING STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCING LOW SELF-ESTEEM AMONG IN-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS AS EXPRESSED BY SECONDARY SCHOOL COUNSELLORS IN KWARA STATE

Abstract

Low self-esteem is a psychological, social, cultural and mental health problem which negatively impacts adolescents’ emotional well-being, social interaction and academic performance which is currently creating a lot of concerns to guidance counsellors, psychologists and mental health practitioners in the world. This paper therefore investigated counselling strategies for enhancing low self-esteem among in-school adolescents as expressed by secondary school counsellors in Kwara State.  A researcher designed questionnaire entitled “Counselling Strategies for Enhancing Low Self-esteem Questionnaire (CSELSQ)” was used to collect necessary data for the study. A reliability coefficient of 0.81 was obtained. Data analysis was done using percentage, mean and ranking order, t-test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT).  The study revealed the major causes of low self-esteem among in-school adolescents to be failure to meet others’ expectations, comparison with others and parental social economic status among others. The counselling strategies mostly adopted by secondary school counsellors in Kwara State are person-centered, group, and cognitive behaviour therapies. Hypothesis one, two and three were rejected. The study therefore recommended amongst others that Seminars, workshop and conferences should be organized for secondary school counsellors to enable them utilize the various counselling strategies in enhancing low self-esteem among in-school adolescents to a great extent.