Impact Evaluation of Urban Youth Mental Health Programmes in Lagos, Nigeria: Behaviour Change and Stress Reduction Implications

Urban youth in Lagos, Nigeria face significant mental health challenges due to high levels of stress and behavioural issues. The government has initiated school-based mental health programmes to address these concerns, but their effectiveness remains uncertain. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including pre- and post-programme assessments of student behaviour and surveys on perceived stress levels. Quantitative data were analysed using a two-sample t-test to determine significant differences. * A notable increase in positive behavioural changes (35%) among students who participated in the mental health programmes compared to those not involved, as measured by pre- and post-intervention assessments. * The findings suggest that school-based mental health programmes are effective in reducing stress levels and improving behaviour among urban youth in Lagos. * Further research should be conducted to explore the long-term impact of these programmes. * Schools should consider integrating mental health education into their curricula as a preventive measure. Treatment effect was estimated with logit (pᵢ) =₀+^ Xᵢ, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.