Onukwufor Jonathan N.¹, Izuchi Maryrose N.^2,

This study was conducted to ascertain the factors gender and location differences of stress among secondary school students, in Port Harcourt and Ikwerre Local Government Areas of Rivers State. Population of the study comprised all the senior secondary school class two (SS2) and junior secondary school class two (JSS2) students in Port Harcourt and Ikwerre Local government areas of Rivers State. Simple random and stratified random sampling techniques were used to draw a sample of 272 students used for the study. The sample was made up of 136 male and 136 female students. It also comprised 136 urban and 136 rural students. The JSS students were 136 while the SSS students were 136. The instrument used for the study was titled factors of Stress among Secondary School Students Inventory (FSSS1). The instrument which measured possible factors of stress among secondary school students comprised 26 items. Cronbach Alpha was used to determine the reliability co-efficient of the instrument which was 0.84. Three research questions and two hypotheses were answered and tested respectively, using mean, standard deviation and t-test. The results obtained were as follows: The identified sources of stress among secondary school students include: poor academic performance, too much punishment in school, some teachers not teaching during their period, gossiping from school mates, poor health condition, the issue of gaining admission into the university, parents poor financial condition, not having text books, parents sickness and traffic hold-up, to and from school. There was significant difference between male and female students stress. There was also significant difference between urban and rural secondary school students stress. It was recommended among others that government should expand the infrastructural facilities in the existing universities so as to enable them offer more admission to the students in order to reduce their stress in this regard; and that rural posting allowance be paid to teachers in the rural areas. In addition, counsellors, are to counsel students on stress coping strategies.

stress, eustress, distress, chronic stress, acute stress