Sociodemographic Variables and Mental Health Outcomes for Part-Time Working Students in Higher Education: Balancing Work and Study

ABSTRACT
The study investigates the relationship between sociodemographic variables and Mental Health Outcomes for Part-Time Working Students in Higher Education: Balancing Work and Study. It also asses the relationship between mental health outcomes and balancing work and study. It determines the influence of sociodemographic variables on balancing work and study. These were with the view to determine the relationship between the study variables and Balancing Work and Study.
The study employed a cross-sectional research design. The study population consists of 220 part-time students attending the Federal College of Education, Abeokuta. Data was collected using purposive sampling technique. Standardised instruments were used for data collection in this study; these includes General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the work-life balance scale (WLBS-15) alongside sociodemographic variables. The data were interpreted using descriptive statistics like frequency and percentage distribution table, while correlation and multiple regression were used to test the stated hypotheses.
The result of the analysis indicates that there is a significant relationship between mental health outcomes and balancing work and study (r = -0.130, p> 0.05). The results show that age {β= -0.196, t-value =2.423, p-value < 0.05}, gender {β= 0.026, t-value =0.381, p-values > 0.05} and marital status {β= 0.096, t-value = 1.189, p-values > 0.05} indicating that there is no significant influence of sociodemographic variables on balancing work and study.
The study concluded that balancing work and study significantly affects mental health outcomes, highlighting the importance of managing these responsibilities to maintain well-being. However, sociodemographic variables do not significantly influence one's ability to balance work and study, suggesting that the impact of work-study balance on mental health is consistent across different demographic groups. Sequel to the findings, the study recommended that providing counseling services that address the mental health impacts of juggling work and study.