Libraries and Psychosocial Determinants of Adolescent Substance Use and Mental Health in Nigeria: A Scoping Review

Abstract

In Nigeria, adolescent substance use and mental health issues continue to pose public health problems as psychosocial factors which include family relationships, peer pressure, media exposure, and socioeconomic status drive these issues. Research has extensively studied these factors but scholars have not investigated how libraries can serve as community centers for mental health support and prevention work. This scoping review examines existing research from 2015 to 2025 which studies how psychosocial factors affect Nigeria's adolescent substance abuse and mental health problems, and it identifies library-based intervention points for further research. Researchers conducted a structured search using PRISMA-ScR framework which included PubMed, Scopus, JSTOR, Google Scholar, and Nigerian academic databases. Eleven studies met inclusion criteria. The findings show that educational programs taking place in schools and community settings can create opportunities for mental health literacy, substance use prevention, and peer support programs even though the study did not assess library-based interventions directly. The review shows major research deficiencies as studies testing library-led programs and research on vulnerable adolescent groups remains insufficient. Future intervention studies must investigate how libraries create safe spaces for adolescent mental health support in low-resource environments according to the study results.

Keywords: Adolescent substance use, psychosocial factors, libraries and information literacy