Role of Nurse-Administered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in Managing Pathological Manifestations Associated with Substance Abuse

Background: The incorporation of empirically-supported psychotherapeutic approaches into clinical practice by mental health nurses (MHNs) is a requirement that has been recognised as part of ongoing initiatives to enhance mental health services on a global scale. The study aimed to assess the effect of nurse-led cognitive behavioral therapy in managing substance abuse among psychiatric patients in Ibadan Nigeria.

Methods: The study was quantitative research that adopted a two-group quasi-experimental design carried out on outpatients attending mental health clinics. Purposive and proportional sampling techniques were used to select participants for the study. The study was carried out in three phases. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data collected.

Results: There were significant differences in the post-intervention knowledge of substance abuse between patients in the intervention and control group (Mean 11.26; t = 39.291; p< .05); post-intervention knowledge of identification of signs and symptoms associated with substance abuse between patients in the intervention and control group (Mean difference = 8.48; t = 31.296; p< .05); and the post-intervention knowledge of prevention and management of psychiatric-induced substance abuse between patients in the intervention and control group (Mean difference = 8.90; t = 33.750; p< .05), all in favor of the intervention group.

Conclusion: The intervention increased the knowledge of substance abuse, knowledge of identification of signs and symptoms associated with substance abuse, and knowledge of prevention and management of psychiatric-induced substance abuse among out-patients in psychiatric units. The role is nurses is crucial in administering cognitive behavior therapy in the management of substance-induced psychiatric manifestations.