Efficacy of Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy on Depression Behaviour of Students Enrolled in Counselling, Psychology & Sociology of Education (CPSE)

Abstract

This paper assessed the efficacy of a REBT-based programme in the reduction of undergraduate students’ depressive behaviour. Pre-test post-test randomized control trial experimental design was adopted by the researchers for the study. Sixty two (62) counseling, psychology and sociology education undergraduate students who were drawn through proportionate stratified random sampling technique constituted the sample for the study. The students were randomly assigned to experimental (32) and control (30) groups. Depression Assessment Scale for Students (DASS) and Academic Depression Behaviour Scale (ADBS) were used for data collection. DASS and ADBS were properly validated by experts in test development and the internal consistency reliability indices of the items estimated as 0.77 and 0.81 respectively using Cronbach Alpha method. Before the commencement of the testing and treatment package, the researchers assured the participants of confidentiality of interactions and personal information as they work together in self-disclosure. Thereafter, pre-treatment assessment (pre-test) was conducted using the DASS and ADBS in order to collect baseline data (Time 1). After that, the experimental group was exposed to 90 minutes of the REBT programme twice for a period of 6 weeks. The treatment took place between September and November 2021. Post-test (Time 2) assessment was conducted 1 week after the last treatment session. Besides, a follow-up assessment was conducted after 2 months of the treatment (Time 3). Data collected were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance. The findings of the study revealed that the efficacy of rational emotive behavioural therapy on the reduction of depression behaviour among counselling, psychology and sociology education undergraduate students was significant at post-test and follow-up measures. One of the implications of the findings is that if undergraduate students are not properly counseled, their depression behaviour will continue to increase. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that Federal Government or relevant education authorities should provide enough guidance counselors in the various institutions of higher learning who will assist in the counseling of the students on dangers of depression using REBT.