Guidance Counsellor Availability and Student Mental Health in Public Secondary Schools in Ondo State

This study assesses the relationship between guidance counsellor availability and student mental health outcomes in public secondary schools in Ondo State, South West Nigeria. The World Health Organisation recommends a counsellor-to-student ratio that is rarely achieved in Nigerian public schools, raising concerns about the mental health support available to secondary school adolescents navigating academic and social pressures. The study adopts a descriptive survey design, involving 340 SS2 students from ten public schools across Akure South and Ondo West Local Government Areas. The General Health Questionnaire-28 and a counsellor utilisation and availability checklist were used as data instruments. Data were analysed using independent samples t-tests and logistic regression. Findings reveal that students in schools with at least one active, qualified counsellor report significantly better mental health outcomes, including lower levels of anxiety, depression symptoms, and somatic complaints. A significant number of schools in the sample had vacant counselling positions or assigned untrained teachers to the role. Students who had accessed counselling services at least once reported greater psychological resilience compared to those who had not. These results underscore the critical infrastructure gap in school mental health provision. The Ondo State Ministry of Education is urgently advised to fill all vacant counsellor positions, enforce professional qualification requirements, and integrate mental health screening into the annual school health calendar. Keywords: guidance counsellor, student mental health, secondary school, Ondo State, school psychology.