Occupational Stress and Job Satisfaction Among Secondary School Counsellors in Rivers State

The occupational well-being of school counsellors is a critical yet underexplored dimension of educational psychology, with direct implications for the quality of services they provide to students. This study examined the relationship between occupational stress and job satisfaction among secondary school counsellors in Rivers State, South South Nigeria. A descriptive correlational design was adopted, with 90 counsellors from 30 secondary schools across Port Harcourt, Obio-Akpor, and Eleme local government areas participating. The Counsellor Occupational Stress Inventory and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ, short form) were administered. Data were analysed using Pearson correlation and regression analysis. Findings indicated that the majority of counsellors experienced moderate to high occupational stress, with role overload, inadequate administrative support, and excessive non-counselling duties as the primary stressors. A significant negative correlation was found between occupational stress and job satisfaction, with counsellors under the highest stress reporting the lowest job satisfaction levels. Years of experience and counsellor-student ratio moderated the relationship. The study concluded that Rivers State school counsellors require structured institutional support to sustain professional motivation and service quality. Recommendations included administrative streamlining of counsellor duties, provision of supervision and peer support structures, and advocacy for improved remuneration and recognition of counsellors' professional contributions. Keywords: occupational stress, job satisfaction, school counsellors, Rivers State, professional well-being.