ABSTRACT
Objective:This study assessed teachers' perspectives on children's mental health needs and the development of school-based mental health programmes in South-West Nigeria. Method: Focus group discussions were held with teachers from randomly selected urban and rural primary schools in Ibadan; Nigeria. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: Teachers identified significant mental health problems in school-age children and described a variety of bio-psychosocial contributing factors. These ranged from problems with primary support systems to poverty; spiritual factors; medical illnesses and genetic vulnerability. The school environment was recognised as an ideal place for dealing with child mental health issues despite deficiencies in teachers' knowledge; skills and resources. A school mental health programme that would provide training for teachers and awareness campaigns as well as human; material and financial resources was proposed. Conclusions: The findings from this study provide a background for understanding the current state of interventions to address child mental health problems in a resource poor country in sub- Saharan Africa and specific areas where future program development is most likely to have an impact