THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIAL ANXIETY, SCHOOL INSECURITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL BEING OF UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATES IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between social anxiety, school insecurity and psychological well-being of university undergraduates in Anambra State. Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted correlational research design. The population of the study consists 12,000 university undergraduates that are in 200 level from the two known public universities in the State in 2025/2026 academic session. The sample of this study comprised of 1000 respondents from the five faculties from both Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University respectively using simple random sampling technique. Three instruments were used for the data collection. These were School Insecurity Questionnaire (SIQ), Social Anxiety Questionnaire (SAQ) and Psychological Wellbeing Questionnaire (PWBQ). The instruments were subjected to face validation. The reliability of the instruments was established using Cronbach Alpha. The result gave coefficient values of 0.67 for School Insecurity Questionnaire, 0.75 for Social Anxiety Questionnaire and 0.75 for Psychological Well Being Questionnaire. The data were collected by the researchers with the help of research assistants who were properly briefed on how to administer the instrument. The completed copies of questionnaire were collected on the spot. Data analysis was done thus: research questions was answered using Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient while the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significant using multiple linear regression. The findings of the study revealed that social anxiety has a weak relationship with psychological wellbeing of university undergraduates in Anambra State. That school insecurity has a weak relationship with psychological wellbeing of university undergraduates in Anambra State.  The findings of the study indicated that social anxiety and school insecurity had significant weak joint relationship with psychological well-being of university undergraduates in Anambra state. Base on the findings the study recommended, among others, university management, educational psychologists and counselors should create mental health programmes and strategies for undergraduates to cope with psychological challenges.