Impact of occupational health coaching on irrational career beliefs and workplace deviant behaviors among school employees: Implications for Educational administrative policy.

BACKGROUND: Workplace-disruptive behavior is an important public and organizational health issue that calls for public discourse. The high rates in Nigeria and its associated career illogical assumptions among teachers brought about this study to investigate the impact of rational emotive occupational health coaching (REOHC) on irrational career beliefs and workplace deviant behaviors in a sample of Nigerian primary school teachers. METHODS: A sample of 128 primary school teachers in Nigeria was recruited as participants. They were assigned to REOHC and control groups. Work deviance behavior scale and teacher irrational belief scale were used to assess the participants at 3 points. A pretest-post-test and follow-up design was used in this study. RESULTS: The findings indicated that the REOHC program significantly reduced work-deviant behaviors and irrational career beliefs among primary school teachers. The outcome also demonstrates the connection between groups and gender. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that primary school teachers' work-related deviant behaviors and illogical beliefs were reduced as a result of the REOHC treatment. Therefore, occupational therapists should help teachers with deviant behaviors and irrational beliefs to change using rational emotive behavioral techniques.

Rational emotive occupational health coaching for quality of work-life among primary school administrators.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed at investigating the effect of rational emotive occupational health coaching on quality of work-life among primary school administrators. METHOD: This is a double blinded and randomized control design study. A total of 158 administrators were sampled, half of them were exposed to rational emotive occupational health treatment package that lasted for 12 sessions. Two self-report measures were utilized in assessing the participants using quality of work life scale. Data collected were analyzed using MANOVA statistical tool. RESULT: The results showed that rational emotive occupational health coaching is effective in improving perception of quality of work-life among public administrators. A follow-up result showed that rational emotive occupational health coaching had a significant effect on primary school administrators' quality of work life. CONCLUSION: This study concluded rational emotive occupation health coaching is useful therapeutic strategy in improving quality of work of primary school administrators, hence, future researchers and clinical practitioners should adopt cognitive-behavioral techniques and principles in helping employers as well as employees. Based on the primary findings and limitations of this study, future studies, occupational psychotherapists should qualitatively explore the clinical relevance of rational emotive occupational health practice across cultures using different populations.

Irrational career beliefs in agricultural education students, demographics, impacts, and rational career education intervention.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that a good number of students admitted into Agricultural Science Education program in Nigerian universities exhibit irrational career interest which affects their perceptions, feelings, and academic behaviors. This study, therefore, explored the effect of rational emotive career education on irrational career beliefs among students enrolled in agricultural education program in federal universities in Enugu state. Three null hypotheses guided the study. METHOD: Of the population (N = 79 students) targeted for the study and who underwent a screening exercise, 61 students were recruited as participants/sample size for the study. Sequence allocation software was used to assign 31 students into experimental groups and 30 into waitlisted control group. Participants in the intervention group received a rational emotive career education program that lasted for 12 sessions while those in waitlisted group did not receive the intervention. The participants in both groups were assessed at three points (Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3) using rational and irrational belief scale. A repeated measure (ANOVA) and partial eta square statistical tools were used to analyze the data collected. RESULT: This study result showed that rational emotive career education significantly reduced irrational career beliefs among students enrolled in Agricultural Science Education program exposed to intervention group compared to those in waitlisted control group. It also showed that there was time × group interaction for irrational career beliefs. The follow-up assessment indicated that the efficacy of rational emotive career education was sustained overtime. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that rational emotive career education is beneficial in reducing irrational career beliefs of university students enrolled in Agricultural Science Education program. Recommendations were also made in line with the results.

Randomized controlled evaluation of the effect of music therapy with cognitive-behavioral therapy on social anxiety symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of music therapy with cognitive behavioral therapy on social anxiety in a sample of schooling adolescents in south-east Nigeria. METHODS: We adopted a randomized controlled trial design involving a treatment group and a waiting-list control group. A total of 155 schooling adolescents served as the study sample. The sample size was ascertained using GPower software. A 12-week MTCBP manual for social anxiety was employed to deliver the intervention. Data analyses were completed using repeated measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: We found that social anxiety significantly decreased in the treatment group over time, whereas the waitlist control group showed no significant changes in social anxiety. Therefore, music therapy with cognitive-behavioral therapy was significantly beneficial in decreasing social anxiety symptoms of the treatment group. The follow-up assessment performed after 3 months revealed a significant reduction in social anxiety for the treatment group. CONCLUSION: The study, therefore, suggests that the use of music therapy with cognitive-behavioral therapy is significant in reducing social anxiety among schooling adolescents.

Efficacy of prison-based cognitive behavioral rehabilitation intervention on violent sexual behaviors among sex offenders in Nigerian prisons.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Evidence showed that reoffending habits are increasing among offenders with violent sexual behaviors. Given the recidivism rates, a psychotherapeutic intervention becomes imperative. This study examined the efficacy of prison-based cognitive behavioral rehabilitation intervention (PCBRI) on violent sexual behaviors among sex offenders in Nigerian prisons. METHOD: A total of45 participants were the sample size. Compulsive Sexual Behavior Inventory and Hypersexual Behavior Inventory were employed in assessing the participants at 3 points. Using a simple random allocation sequence, 23 participants were exposed to PCBRI programme and 22 participants allocated to control condition. The data obtained were analyzed using repeated measures 2-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: Results indicated a significant effect of the treatment on violent sexual behaviors among sex offenders in Nigerian prisons exposed to the PCBRI programme when compared to the no-intervention group. Result also showed a significant interaction effect of time and group on sex offenders with violent sexual behaviors. Follow-up tests showed significant decrease in violent sexual behaviors after 6 months for the PCBRI group in comparison to the control group. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that PCBRI approach is a type of psychotherapy that reduces violent sexual behaviors among sex offenders in Southeast Nigeria.

Impacts of cognitive-behavioral intervention on anxiety and depression among social science education students: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety is a common disorder which refers to a significant and persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations. This study investigated the impacts of cognitive-behavioral intervention on anxiety and depression among undergraduate students enrolled in social science education programs at public universities in the Southeast Nigeria. METHODS: Participants were 55 undergraduate students enrolled in social science education programs at public universities in the Southeast Nigeria. The adequacy of the sample size used was determined using GPower software. Cognitive-behavioral treatment manuals on anxiety and depression were used to deliver the intervention. Data analyses were completed using repeated measures analysis of variance. RESULTS: Results indicated a significant positive impact of cognitive-behavioral intervention on anxiety and depression among social science education students exposed to the cognitive-behavioral intervention when compared to the waitlisted group. Results also showed that there was a significant time × group interaction for anxiety and depression. Follow-up tests showed that significant reduction in anxiety and depression persisted after 3 months for the cognitive-behavioral intervention group in comparison to the waitlisted control group. CONCLUSION: We concluded that cognitive-behavioral intervention was a successful intervention which decreased the symptoms of anxiety and depression in social science education students who participated in the study. Additional studies are recommended to further corroborate the influence of cognitive-behavioral intervention in the reduction of anxiety and depressive symptoms in the Nigerian undergraduate student population.

Efficacy of rational emotive digital storytelling intervention on knowledge and risk perception of HIV/AIDS among schoolchildren in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: This investigation was aimed at determining the efficacy of a rational emotive digital storytelling (REDStory) therapy on knowledge and perception of risk of HIV/AIDS among schoolchildren in Enugu State, Nigeria. METHODS: The researchers adopted a group randomized controlled trial design involving a pretest, posttest, and follow-up design involving a treatment group and a waiting-list control group. Participants were 80 junior secondary schoolchildren attending public and private schools who met the criteria for inclusion in the sample of this study. The REDStory intervention program lasted for 8-week duration of REDStory therapy. The HIV Knowledge Questionnaire and the Perceived Risk of HIV Scale (PRHS) were used for data collection for this study. Repeated measures analysis of variance and t test were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The results revealed that REDStory therapy had a significant effect in increasing knowledge level and perceived risk of HIV among schoolchildren compared to those in waitlisted control group. Lastly, the positive benefits of this study were significantly sustained by the treatment group at the follow-up. CONCLUSION: The current study therefore suggests the use of REDStory therapy in increasing knowledge and perception of risk of HIV/AIDS among schoolchildren in Enugu, Nigeria.