Family and Peer Group Factors Influencing Academic and Phobia Related Among Secondary School Students in Chanchaga Metropolis: Strategies for School Counselling Intervention

Phobia is a prevalent mental health challenge among adolescents worldwide, with family dynamics playing a pivotal role in its onset and severity. This study investigated the influence of family and peer group factors influencing academic and phobia related among secondary school students in Chanchaga Metropolis, Niger State, Nigeria. Employing a descriptive sectional cross- survey design, data were collected from 300 students (150 males and 150 females) selected through stratified random sampling from both public and private secondary schools. Standardized instruments, including the Beck academic, phobia Inventory-II (BAPI-II) and the Family Environment Scale (FES), were used alongside a socio-demographic questionnaire. The results revealed a depression prevalence rate of 28.7%, with mild to moderate symptoms being most common. Key family factors such as high family conflict, low parental emotional support, authoritarian parenting styles, low socioeconomic status, and disrupted family structures (single-parent or extended families with absent parents) showed statistically significant positive correlations with phobia symptoms (p < 0.01). Female students and those from low-income households reported higher phobia levels. The study highlights the critical need for school counsellors to adopt family-inclusive intervention strategies, including parental involvement programmes, counselling sessions, and early screening protocols. These findings have substantial implications for policy formulation and mental health support systems in Nigerian secondary schools.