Universal Journal of Public Health 12(1): 28-36, 2024 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2024.120103 Mental Health among Secondary School Students: Predictive Factor Analysis Udeme Samuel Jacob 1,* , Naseem Akorede Raji 2 , Jace Pillay 1 , Habeeb Omoponle Adewuyi 3 , Ojuolape Mumud Olabode 4 1 Education and Care in Childhood, Faculty of Education, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa 2 Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Wellbeing, Edgehill University, Ormskirk, United Kingdom 3 Department of Educational Psychology, University of Johannesburg, South Africa 4 Department of Counselling and Human Development Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Nigeria Received May 15, 2023; Revised August 15, 2023; Accepted September 24, 2023 Cite This Paper in the Following Citation Styles (a): [1] Udeme Samuel Jacob, Naseem Akorede Raji, Habeeb Omoponle Adewuyi, Ojuolape Mumud Olabode, Jace Pillay , "Mental Health among Secondary School Students: Predictive Factor Analysis," Universal Journal of Public Health, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 28-36, 2024. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2024.120103. (b): Udeme Samuel Jacob, Naseem Akorede Raji, Habeeb Omoponle Adewuyi, Ojuolape Mumud Olabode, Jace Pillay (2024). Mental Health among Secondary School Students: Predictive Factor Analysis. Universal Journal of Public Health, 12(1), 28-36. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2024.120103. Copyright©2024 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract Poor mental health impairs an individual’s functioning and cognitive processes, reducing their social role and output in society. The study investigated factors that determine mental health predictors among secondary school students in southwestern Nigeria. The study used a correlational-descriptive research approach. A total of 1000 secondary school pupils from southwestern Nigeria were chosen using a multistage sampling procedure. Three study questions were addressed at a 0.05 significance level utilizing frequency distribution, percentage, Pearson product-moment correlation, and multiple regressions. The findings of the study showed that self-esteem (r =.202, p<0.05), self-efficacy (r =.207, p<0.05), social integration (r =.275, p<0.05), gender (r =.138, p<0.05) and parental socioeconomic status (r =.207, p<0.05) have a significant relationship with mental health among secondary school students in southwestern Nigeria. In contrast, age (r =.047, p>0.05) has no significant relationship. All the independent variables jointly accounted for a 10.2% variance in predicting mental health among secondary school students in southwestern Nigeria. Also, self-esteem (β =.182, t = 2.049, p<0.05), self-efficacy (β = 138, t = 2.548, p<0.05), social integration (β =.122, t = 2.751, p<0.05), gender (β =.104, t = 1.944, p<0.05) and parental socioeconomic status (β =.457, t = 3.181, p<0.05) had a relative influence on mental health among secondary school students in southwestern Nigeria, while age (β =.069, t = 1.701, p>0.05) had no relative influence. In conclusion, there should be rehabilitation and counselling services available to students of this category. Trained special educators should be posted to all secondary schools to guide them through transitioning and help them manage stress. Keywords Mental Health, Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy, Gender, Age, Social Integration, Parental Socioeconomic Status 1. Introduction Young people’s resilience and mental wellbeing are crucial to any nation’s future. An individual with good mental health uses interpersonal resources and abilities to successfully navigate daily life. Unquestionably, one of our most valuable things is our mental health and we should do all in our power to protect, nurture, and enhance it. A condition of good mental health promotes contentment and efficiency in daily life. A person’s mental health refers to their ability to reach their full potential, deal with daily stress, work professionally and productively, and give back to their community [1]. A special educator, counsellor, psychologist, or psychiatrist understands mental health from a variety of perspectives, including spiritual, moral