Abstract Background: A solid understanding of mental health is crucial for early detection of psychological issues. This study examined perceptions and factors related to mental health awareness among Nigerian adolescents. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, quantitative study was carried out among adolescents aged 10–19 years in Nigeria to evaluate perceptions and factors influencing mental health awareness. Using multistage sampling, 424 students from public and private secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory were selected to ensure a balanced representation across different school types and locations. Data were gathered through a pretested structured questionnaire, and analysis was conducted using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Statistics version 28. Results: Out of 424 respondents, 71.0% of students in private schools and 65.3% in public schools reported low mental health awareness. Overall, only 31.6% demonstrated high mental health knowledge, with the internet (39.2%) identified as the most common source of information. Behavioral lifestyle factors (52.1%) and substance abuse (48.1%) were frequently regarded as major contributors to mental health issues. Logistic regression analysis indicated that adolescents aged 14–16 years (adjusted odds ratio AOR = 5.310, P = 0.003), those practicing Islam (AOR = 1.976, P = 0.011), and individuals with middle birth order (AOR = 2.455, P = 0.004) were significantly more likely to have higher mental health awareness. Conclusion: Awareness of mental health issues among Nigerian adolescents remains limited and is heavily influenced by socio-demographic factors, underscoring the importance of customized school-based and digital mental health education programs.
Chukwuemeka et al. (Thu,) studied this question.