PARENTAL PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTROL, BASIC NEEDS SATISFACTION AND FRUSTRATION AS PREDICTORS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING OF IN-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN ONDO STATE

Abstract

Psychological wellbeing of youths globally especially in the developing countries of which Nigeria is one, has been observed as low by UNICEF and Child Trends. Researchers have studied various factors that could be responsible. However, there is dearth of literature in Nigeria on possibility of parental psychological control and basic needs satisfaction and frustration as being responsible. This study therefore investigated parental psychological control, basic needs satisfaction and frustration, age and gender as predictors of psychological wellbeing among inschool adolescents in Akoko North-east of Ondo State. The study adopted cross sectional research design. Using convenient sampling technique, 268 Adolescents of Akoko North East of Ondo State comprising of 115 (42.9%) males and 153 (57.1%) females and age (Mean = 15.57, S.D = 1.85) were selected as participants for this study. Three hypotheses were formulated and tested. Results showed that age significantly predicted psychological wellbeing (β= -38, t= -6.69, P<.01). Parental psychological control also significantly predicted psychological wellbeing (β= .26, t= 4.69, P< .01), and Basic needs satisfaction and frustration did predict significantly as well with the satisfaction dimension causing increase in psychological wellbeing (β= .26, t= 4.44, P< .01). The joint contribution of all the variables [R= .52, R2= .27, F (4,263) = 24.64, P< .01] accounted for 27% variance in psychological wellbeing among these youths. Based on these findings, it is recommended that parents employ behavioural control and authoritative parenting style which foster child expressiveness, identity, autonomy, competence and social skills with subsequent favourable psychological wellbeing.