Resilience Building Workshops and Coping Capacity Among NYSC Corps Members in Kogi State

This study evaluates the impact of resilience building workshops on the coping capacity of National Youth Service Corps members in Kogi State, North Central Nigeria. The NYSC programme exposes young Nigerian graduates to unfamiliar environments, cultural differences, and occupational challenges that can precipitate psychological distress and adjustment difficulties, particularly in underserved rural and semi-urban postings. The study employs a quasi-experimental pre-test post-test design, involving 140 corps members from three NYSC orientation and deployment camps in Lokoja and Okene. The intervention comprised a four-day resilience building workshop incorporating stress inoculation training, problem-solving therapy, and social support activation exercises. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Brief COPE inventory were used as instruments. Data were analysed using paired samples t-tests and analysis of covariance. Findings indicate that corps members who participated in the resilience workshop demonstrated significantly higher resilience scores and more adaptive coping strategy utilisation at a six-week post-training follow-up compared to controls. Particularly strong gains were observed in the dimensions of personal competence, spiritual coping, and secure relationships. Cultural adaptation challenges related to language, food, and community reception were identified as primary stressors. These findings affirm the value of structured psychological preparation for corps members beyond the standard orientation content. The NYSC Directorate is encouraged to integrate evidence-based resilience workshops into the standard orientation camp programme across all states. Keywords: resilience building, coping capacity, NYSC corps members, Kogi State, adjustment.