Imperative of Psycho-Social Counselling among Basic Education Teachers for Effective Job Performance in Nigeria

Teachers in Nigeria today, especially at basic education level, are faced with numerous psychological problems which can adversely affect their job performance at school. The paper looked at psychosocial problems as all the difficulties faced by individuals (more often adolescents) in different areas of personal and social functioning; highlighted some of the causes of psychosocial problems among teachers such as social isolation or loneliness, experiencing discrimination and stigma, social disadvantage, poverty or debt, bereavement (losing someone close to you) etc. Psychosocial counselling was defined as a counselling service aims at helping an individual with psychosocial problems such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, loneliness, insecurity, economic hardships, hunger etc. by a professional counsellor to get relieved of the problem at stake. Stages for a successful psychosocial counselling like screening, assessment, planning, intervention and closure were discussed and justification for psychosocial counselling among basic education teachers were highlighted. The paper concluded that, teachers at basic education level are faced with psychosocial problems which adversely affect their job performance. Finally, the paper recommends among others that, as matter of urgency, a workshop should be organized on psychosocial issues among teachers at basic education level with a view to assisting those teachers with psychosocial problems be addressed in good time.