Psychosocial Predictors of Depressive Symptoms among Out-of-School Adolescents in Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined emotional dysregulation, peer victimisation, sleep disturbances, and psychosocial stressors as predictors of depressive symptoms among out-of-school adolescents in Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with a sample of 379 adolescents selected through multistage sampling. Standardised instruments including the DERS, RPEQ, SDSC, ESSA, and BDI-II were used for data collection. Data were analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed significant positive relationships between emotional dysregulation (r = 0.67), peer victimisation (r = 0.61), sleep disturbances (r = 0.58), psychosocial stressors (r = 0.63), and depressive symptoms. The variables jointly accounted for a substantial proportion of variance in depressive symptoms (R = 0.84, R² = 0.71, F = 222.45, p < .05). Relative contribution analysis showed that emotional dysregulation (β = 0.39) was the strongest predictor, followed by peer victimisation (β = 0.34), psychosocial stressors (β = 0.31), and sleep disturbances (β = 0.28). The study concluded that depressive symptoms among out-of-school adolescents are significantly influenced by interacting emotional, social, and environmental factors. It was recommended that community-based emotional regulation programmes, anti-victimisation interventions, and sleep hygiene education be implemented to improve adolescent mental health outcomes.