Effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy on occupational stress management among administrative, language, science and vocational education staff within open and distance learning centers: A randomized controlled trial evaluation.

BACKGROUND: The administrative, language, science and vocational staff in Nigerian open and distance learning centers handle a wide range of responsibilities, including teaching, supervising exams, managing projects for distant learners, conducting research, and attending conferences. However, no research in southeast Nigeria has looked into how the administrative, language, science and vocational staff at open-distance learning centers manage occupational stress. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate how administrative, language, science and vocational education staff at open distance learning facilities in southeast Nigeria manage their work-related stress in relation to cognitive behavior therapy intervention.

METHODS: The study used a randomized control group trial design with 63 administrative, language, science and vocational staff members as the sample size. Data were gathered using the Occupational Stress Index and the Perceived Stress Scale. The instruments' respective internal consistency reliability indices are.87 and.77. The 12-week intervention of cognitive behavior therapy was conducted. A postintervention exam was given to participants in both the intervention group and the nonintervention group after the conclusion of the intervention, and a follow-up assessment was given 2 months later. The paired samples t-test and the independent samples t-test were used to evaluate the data for the within-groups and between-groups effects, respectively.

RESULTS: In open and distance learning facilities in southeast Nigeria, it was discovered that cognitive behavior therapy significantly improved the administrative, language, science and vocational education staff's ability to manage occupational stress.

CONCLUSION: Administrative, language, science and vocational education staff at open distance learning facilities in southeast Nigeria can effectively manage their occupational stress through the use of cognitive behavior therapy.