THE EFFICACY OF GROUP COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY AMONG PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION IN FEDERAL NEUROPSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL, YABA

ABSTRACT

Depression is a major psychological disorder which is common among patients in psychiatric hospitals. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been used as complimentary intervention for depression, its efficacy on group cognitive therapy in Nigeria is yet to be established. This study therefore, examined the efficacy of group CBT in the treatment of depressed patients at the Federal. Neuro psychiatric Hospital, Yaba (FNPHY) Lagos. The cognitive and behavioural theories provided the theoretical basis. This study involved a survey, using cross sectional expost facto an experimental design. A total of 116 clinically diagnosed depressed patients were purposively recruited at the outpatient clinic of FNPHY. A Questionnaire which contained Becks Depressive Inventory-2 (BDI-II) and Centre for Epidemiological studies-Depression Scale (CESD) were used for the experiment. Forty participants with highest scores on the depression rating scale were randomlyassigned into 4 groups of 10 each. Three of the groups: Individual and Group (I&G), Individual Therapy (IT), Group Therapy (GT) benefitted from psychological intervention while the last was the control (C). The three experimental groups had eight sessions on goals, identification of problems, activity of negative thoughts, correction of irrational beliefs/thoughts, review, evaluation and termination. The control group had no intervention. The four groups were re-assessed after intervention. Data were analysed with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-test and multiple regression (p