Parental Divorce and Emotional Well-Being of Senior Secondary School Students in Delta Central Senatorial District: A Gender-Based Analysis

This study investigated the perceived influence of parental divorce on the emotional well-being of senior secondary school students in Delta Central Senatorial District, Delta State, with a specific focus on gender-based differences. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. Relevant literature was reviewed in line with the study's objectives. A correlational survey research design was adopted, with a population of 45,318 students enrolled in 196 public secondary schools during the 2024/2025 academic session. Using a multi-stage sampling procedure comprising stratified and simple random sampling, a sample of 380 students was drawn from 38 schools across the Ughelli and Sapele zones. Data were collected using a self-designed instrument, the Parental Divorce and Emotional Well-Being Questionnaire (PDAEWQ), which contained 50 items on a four-point Likert scale. The instrument demonstrated strong reliability, with a Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.83. Data were analysed using Pearson’s r, regression analysis, and t-tests at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that: (i) parental divorce significantly influences the emotional well-being of senior secondary school students; (ii) parental divorce significantly influences the emotional well-being of female senior secondary school students; and (iii) parental divorce significantly influences the emotional well-being of male senior secondary school students in Delta Central Senatorial District. The study concludes that parental divorce negatively affects the emotional well-being of both male and female senior secondary school students. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others, that school authorities should strengthen counselling services to provide emotional support and guidance for students from divorced homes, helping them cope with the psychological effects of parental separation.