Disruptive Behaviour Disorders (DBDs), comprising Conduct Disorder (CD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), represent significant mental health concerns among adolescents due to their adverse effects on academic achievement, interpersonal relationships, and psychosocial development. Despite the growing burden of these disorders, there is a paucity of empirical evidence on their prevalence among adolescents attending secondary school in Lagos State, Nigeria. The research therefore examines the assessment of disruptive behaviour disorders. The quantitative research employed a descriptive survey design and 915 participants comprising males 49.5% (mean age = 14.94, SD = 1.57). The research employed a multistage sampling technique. The findings revealed that disruptive behaviour disorders were highly prevalent among the adolescents, with 90.4% exhibiting moderate to severe symptoms and 16.4% falling within the severe category. The prevalence of adolescents at risk of Conduct Disorder was 35.4%, while 83.4% were at risk of Oppositional Defiant Disorder. The results further showed that female adolescents displayed significantly lower levels of DBDs compared to their male counterparts. The study concluded and recommended that DBDs (CD and ODD) are common among in-school adolescents in Lagos State and therefore school administrators, management, and owners should employ psychological intervention in addressing the rising disruptive behaviour symptoms among adolescents.
Psychological well-being during early childhood constitutes a critical foundation for children's cognitive, emotional and social development, yet increasing evidence indicates that many young learners experience emotional and behavioural difficulties linked to family environments and parenting practices. Despite extensive international research on parenting styles, empirical evidence examining the influence of parental disciplinary practices on the psychological well-being of pre-primary learners within Sub-Saharan Africa remains limited. This study examined the influence of parental disciplinary practices on the psychological well-being of learners attending public pre-primary schools in Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory and Ecological Systems Theory, the study adopted a correlational cross-sectional survey design embedded within a convergent mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were obtained from teachers using structured questionnaires and learner observational checklists, while qualitative data were collected through interviews with parents to provide contextual understanding of disciplinary practices. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and Chi-square analyses were employed to analyze quantitative data, whereas qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that permissive and authoritative disciplinary practices were the most prevalent parenting approaches observed among learners. Although the overall association between parental disciplinary practices and learners' psychological well-being was not statistically significant, authoritative and democratic disciplinary practices demonstrated positive relationships with self-esteem, emotional regulation, and social competence, whereas authoritarian practices were negatively associated with children's anxiety management. Qualitative findings further indicated that supportive guidance, parent-child communication and participatory decision-making promoted children's emotional confidence, while punitive disciplinary approaches were perceived to undermine emotional security. The study concludes that disciplinary practices do not influence children's psychological well-being uniformly; rather, specific disciplinary approaches differentially shape particular dimensions of psychological functioning. The findings contribute context-specific evidence to the growing literature on parenting and child mental health in low- and middle-income countries and underscore the importance of promoting positive parenting interventions that emphasize warmth, communication and developmentally appropriate discipline within early childhood education.
Background: The rapid expansion of digital communication platforms has transformed how young people seek psychosocial support, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where access to formal mental health services remains limited. In Kenya, platforms such as WhatsApp, TikTok, and anonymous online advice forums have emerged as important spaces for emotional support, peer counselling, and mental health information exchange. However, evidence on how these interconnected digital environments function as informal support ecosystems, and the opportunities and risks they present for youth wellbeing, remains limited. Methods: This study employed a convergent mixed-methods research design to examine online support ecologies among Kenyan youth. Quantitative data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 412 adolescents and young adults aged 15–29 years, while qualitative data were obtained from 28 purposively selected key informants through semi-structured interviews. Additional contextual insights were generated through descriptive analysis of publicly accessible mental health-related content on WhatsApp communities, TikTok, and anonymous online advice platforms. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, whereas qualitative data were analysed thematically. Findings from all data sources were integrated during interpretation. Results: The findings indicate that digital platforms have become central to youth help-seeking and psychosocial support in Kenya. Most participants reported frequent internet access (89.8%) and smartphone ownership (89.8%), enabling widespread engagement with online mental health resources. WhatsApp emerged as the most trusted platform for peer support because of existing social relationships and perceived privacy, whereas TikTok provided accessible mental health education but also facilitated the spread of misleading or decontextualised information. Anonymous advice platforms encouraged disclosure of sensitive emotional concerns by reducing stigma and fear of judgement but demonstrated weak referral pathways to professional mental health services. Qualitative findings further revealed that trust, confidentiality, cultural relevance, and peer validation strongly influenced platform preferences. Conclusion: Online support ecologies increasingly complement formal mental health services for Kenyan youth by providing accessible and socially acceptable avenues for emotional support and information seeking. However, concerns regarding misinformation, inconsistent counselling quality, and limited professional referral mechanisms highlight the need for coordinated governance frameworks. Integrating digital mental health literacy, professional oversight, and culturally responsive online counselling approaches could strengthen the effectiveness and safety of digital support ecosystems for young people in Kenya.
With the widespread adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) across higher education, how AI tools shape students’ Critical Thinking has emerged as a prominent research focus in academia. Adopting random sampling at University S, this study distributed questionnaires to survey generative AI use among 101 undergraduates, exploring group discrepancies in AI Use Behaviors, Attitudes and Perceived Evaluation across gender, grade, and broad disciplinary categories. Critical Thinking Disposition and Skill levels were measured via standardized CT Thinking Tests. Statistical analyses including descriptive statistics, difference tests with post-hoc multiple comparisons, correlation analysis and regression analysis were conducted in SPSS 25.0 to quantify the predictive effects of AI Use on Critical Thinking. Empirical results demonstrate that AIA exert the strongest significant predictive effect on undergraduates’ CT Disposition, whereas tangible improvements in CT Skills demand structured, systematic training regimes. This research concludes that student AI use yields notable impacts on Critical Thinking-related mindsets and cognitive patterns, with effects concentrated predominantly on dispositional facets. Whether generative AI empowers or undermines undergraduates’ Critical Thinking is not an inherent property of the technology itself. Instead, outcomes are primarily contingent on user attitudes, and partially governed by interactive dynamics stemming from individual student heterogeneity and other contextual factors.
The present study examined the influence of selected psychological skills on competitive performance among male Ethiopian Premier League basketball players during the 2024–2025 season. The study investigated whether psycho-logical factors, including goal setting and mental preparation, confidence and achievement motivation, coachability, concentration, coping with adversity, peaking under pressure, and freedom from worry, were associated with team performance. A total of 105 male players from seven Ethiopian Premier League clubs participated in the study. Psy-chological skills were assessed using the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28 (ACSI-28), while team performance was determined according to the final league standings. The findings revealed that players from high-performing teams scored significantly higher in goal setting and mental preparation, concentration, coping with adversity, and peaking under pressure than players from low-performing teams. These results suggest that athletes who effectively plan, maintain focus, manage setbacks, and perform under competitive pressure are more likely to contribute to successful team performance. In contrast, confidence and achievement motivation, coachability, and freedom from worry did not differ significantly between high- and low-performing teams, indicating that these variables were not strong predictors of competitive success in this study. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of psychological preparedness in elite basketball and support the integration of psychological skills training into coaching programmes. Future research should include larger samples, mixed-method approaches, and broader competitive settings to further investigate the role of psychological skills in Ethiopian basketball.
