Mental Health Problems as Viewed by Prospective Teachers in a College of Education (Nigeria)

Abstract

Contemporary trends in education at all levels tend to emphasize relevancy or what is often called accountability. These education concepts suggest that education should be relevant to the present as well as to prospective problems of the society. In other words, the educational establishment cannot abrogate its social responsibility in searching, addressing, and suggesting solutions to contemporary health and social problems. This is very important in schools where students' and personnel's health and social problems have massive influence on performance and achievement. An awareness of the important mental health needs of students and personnel would allow for the development and organization of appropriate preventive or remedial programs in education. Health and social problems in educational programs at the teacher training level take on added importance when viewed from the perspective that the students themselves are preparing to be teachers. Every effort should be harnessed to allow professional educators to address these problems as part of the instructional program in educational training programs. This may require a complete change in attitude toward the environment, reassessment of long held values, or the reexamination and reconstruction of