EFFECT OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY ON THE MANAGEMENT OF MENTAL WELLBEING AMONG UNIVERSITY IN- SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS NORTH-WEST ZONE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on the management of mental wellness among university in-school adolescents in the North-West zone of Nigeria. The study adopted a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design. A total of 120 participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received eight sessions of CBT intervention focusing on cognitive restructuring, emotional regulation, and coping strategies, while the control group received no treatment. Adolescent Mental Well-being Scale (AMWBS) instrument and DASS 21 was used to collect data. The content validity of the instrument was ascertained by three test experts. Cronbach Alpha statistics was used to obtain reliability value 0.78 and results were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests and two-way ANOVA. The result of the findings revealed a significant improvement in mental wellness among participants who received CBT compared to those in the control group. CBT also significantly reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, indicating its effectiveness in enhancing psychological wellbeing. Furthermore, the results showed that gender and age had no significant influence on the effectiveness of CBT, suggesting that the intervention benefits both male and female adolescents equally across age groups. The study concludes that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an effective intervention for promoting mental wellness among university adolescents in Nigeria. It recommends the integration of CBT programs into university counselling services, training of counsellors in CBT techniques, and inclusion of mental wellness initiatives in institutional policies to foster healthier learning environments.