Supporting business educators and students against COVID-19 trauma using trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy

Nathaniel Ifeanyi Edeh; Ernest O Ugwoke; Eunice N Anaele; Babalulu M Madusaba; Augustine Naboth-Odums; Evelyn A Isiwu; Timothy O Olinya; Chinwe Enyi; Adeleye Olaide David; Dorcas Cathreine Yumma; Tongshinen Peter Yeldim; Maryann Chiamaka Odunukwe; Sandra Nkoliko Victor; Ahmed Abubakar

doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000029133

Supporting business educators and students against COVID-19 trauma using trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy

Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Apr 8;101(14):e29133. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000029133.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Business Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
² South-East Biotechnology Center/Microbiology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
³ School of Business Education, Federal College of Education (Technical) Omoku, Cross River State, Nigeria.
⁴ Department of Educational Foundation, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
⁵ Department of Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.
⁶ Department of Art and Social Science Education, Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: The outbreak of COVID-19 manifests in peoples' mental health and psychological dispositions and may also result to acute distress, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on victims. The objective of this study was to support business educators' and students' mental health against coronavirus trauma using trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT).

Methods: The participants (n = 74 - educators and students) who indicated PTSD symptoms based on the self-reporting questionnaire they filled, were randomly assigned to treatment and waitlist control groups. The TF-CBT manual was used for the intervention. The intervention was a 14-week treatment with 2 weeks follow-up meeting. Using repeated measures of Analysis of Variance, we determined the level of improvement of each participant in the treatment group against Coronavirus trauma at the end of the intervention.

Results: The study established that gender has no significant difference in determining the effects of Coronavirus trauma on participants. Through intervention, the PTSDs and depression arising from Coronavirus event were significantly reduced in the treatment group. Again, there was a significant improvement in the participants' general mental health at the end of the intervention. Hence, we established the implication for research and practice in line with the outcome of the study. The study advocates that TF-CBT should be employed by educational institutions in Nigeria to cushion the traumatic effects of coronavirus and future disasters on both workers and students.

Conclusion: We conclude that mental health problems remain a serious challenge among business educators and students in this COVID-19 pandemic era. The study established that low educational qualifications, PTSD symptoms and negative coping strategies are the factors aggravating the general low mental health of the study participants. Finally, we advocate that the educational institutions in Nigeria should adopt TF-CBT interventions to support staff and students' mental health against adverse effects of COVID-19.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy*
Humans
Pandemics
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / psychology
Students