Udukhomose Suleiman Omokhabi

Keywords: Adult learners, mental health, sandwich programmes, Learning preparedness

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of mental health challenges among adult learners at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Sandwich Programme, Ekiti State, Nigeria. It focuses on adult learners’ mental health and academic outcomes at the university. A total of 130 respondents were selected from a population of 217 via the simple random sampling technique. Majority of respondents acknowledged that mental health significantly affects their preparedness to learn (x̄=2.79), with stress (x̄=3.32) and anxiety (x̄=3.04) frequently disrupting their studies. The study highlights gender and employment status as significant determinants of mental health, with chi-square values of 5.592 (p=0.018) and 8.454 (p = 0.017), respectively. Students’ financial support from spouse and family members emerged as the most endorsed strategy (76.9%) to alleviate their mental health challenges, followed by counselling services (34.6%) and time management strategies (32.3%). The findings also revealed that while most learners (63.8%) feel they have the necessary resources for effective learning, a significant minority (36.2%) lack adequate resources. Additionally, 66.9% of the respondent expressed moderate confidence in managing their time between work, study, and personal responsibilities. The study concludes that about 92.3% of respondents felt academically prepared before enrollment, though many struggled with re-adjusting to academic life after a break. Thus, this study underscores the critical need for mental health support, financial assistance, and flexible learning strategies to enhance the academic success and well-being of adult learners.

Author Biography

Udukhomose Suleiman Omokhabi

Department of Adult Education, Faculty of Education Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria

Email: [email protected]

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