Impacts of cognitive behavior therapy on occupational stress among science and social science education facilitators in open and distance learning centers and its implications for community development: A randomized trial group

BACKGROUND: Extensive review of literature showed that no available study in Nigeria has explored the impact of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) on the management of occupational stress among open and distance learning (ODL) centers science and social science education facilitators. Thus, this study determined the impacts of CBT on the management of occupational stress among science and social science education facilitators in ODL centers in South-South Nigeria. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial experimental design was adopted for the study with a sample size of 68 science and social science education facilitators in ODL centers in South-South states, Nigeria. Perceived stress scale (PSS) and Occupational stress index (OSI) were used for data collection. Using Cronbach alpha method, internal consistency reliability indices of 0.81 and 0.85 for PSS and OSI respectively were obtained in the Nigerian context. A 12-week cognitive behavior therapy intervention was conducted after which the participants in both the intervention group and the non-intervention group were administered posttest, while a follow-up assessment was administered after 2 months. Data collected were analyzed using mixed-design repeated-measures analysis of variance for the within-groups and between-groups effects. RESULTS: It was found that CBT intervention led to a significant decrease in the occupational stress among science and social science education facilitators in ODL in the South-South region of Nigeria. CONCLUSION: Cognitive behavior therapy is effective in the management of occupational stress among science and social science education facilitators in distance learning centers.