The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy on the Psychosocial Well-Being of Patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS Associated Cancers in Jos University Teaching Hospital, Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the efficacy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy on the Psychosocial Well-being of Patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS Associated Cancers in Jos University Teaching Hospital, Plateau State, Nigeria. True experimental design was utilized (pretesting and post-testing for both experiment and control groups). Thirty Nine (39) diagnosed HIV/AID associated cancer patients in Jos University Teaching Hospital were purposively sampled and divided into treatment (n=20) and control groups (n=19). The Ryff’s psychosocial wellbeing scale (PWB), 42 items version, was administered to pretest and posttest for psychological wellbeing in both groups. T-test was then applied to test the six hypotheses developed in the study. For hypothesis one, the results of the analysis of the posttest autonomy mean scores of HIV/AIDs patients diagnosed with associated cancer between the experimental and control groups. In the experimental group, the posttest autonomy mean scores is 27.77, SD = 6.13 where the control group had a mean scores  =24.75, SD = 5.60. The result also shows t(37) = 2.60, p< 0.05. The second hypothesis showed that the experimental group environmental mastery had a posttest mean scores of 29.88, SD = 6.22 while the control group has a posttest mean scores of =25.04, SD = 5.59. The results indicates that t(37) = 2.38, p < 0.05. The third hypothesis reveals that the experimental group had a posttest personal growth mean scores of 26.83 and SD =.64 while the control group has a posttest mean scores of 25.80 and SD=5.57. The results indicate that t(37) = 0.84, p < 0.05. Hypothesis four shows that the experimental group had a posttest Positive Relation mean scores of 26.55, SD = 6.54 while the control group had =23.19, SD = 5.11. The results also indicate that t(37) = 2.12, p< 0.05. Hypothesis five indicates that the experimental group had a posttest purpose in life mean scores of 26.38, SD, = 5.08 while the control group has 24.00, SD = 5.49. The results indicate that t(37) = 1.81, p< 0.05. Hypothesis six shows that the experimental group had a posttest self-acceptance mean scores of 30.22, standard deviation 5.23 while the control group had a posttest mean scores of 23.33, SD= 5.60. The results indicate that t(37) = 4.82, p< 0.05. Cognitive Behavioral Therapies has been shown to efficacious by several researchers as confirmed by this study especially for the unique population of HIV/AIDs associated cancer patients and it is therefore highly recommended that the treatment of HIV/AIDs associated cancer patients should incorporate the services of mental health practitioners with skills in CBT.

Keywords: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Psychosocial Well-being, HIV/AIDS Associated Cancers