Effects of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Impulsivity on Depression and Anxiety in Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Abakaliki, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the effects of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and impulsivity on depression and anxiety among women living with HIV/AIDS in Abakaliki, Nigeria. Fifty female participants, aged 18 to 53, diagnosed with HIV, were selected using purposive sampling. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design in which the treatment group received CBT intervention while the control group received routine standard care. Three standardised instruments were used for data collection: Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI)-II, Beck's Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Barratt's Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), 50 participants were assigned equally, with 25 assigned to each of the intervention group and comparison group. Multivariate Analysis of Variance results indicated that Wilks’ Λ = .01, F (2, 45) = 0.72, p< .025, partial η^² = .01. To minimise the risk of a Type 1 error, the Bonferroni post hoc correction was applied by dividing the original alpha level of 0.05 by 2 (number of dependent variables), resulting in an adjusted alpha of 0.025. Thus, impulsivity did not have a significant effect on levels of depression and anxiety in this study. Findings revealed that impulsivity did not significantly influence depression and anxiety among the participants. However, cognitive behavioural therapy had a significant effect in alleviating depressive and anxiety symptoms among women living with HIV/AIDS. The interaction effect between CBT and Impulsivity was not significant. It is recommended that CBT-based interventions be integrated into routine psychological and medical care for people living with HIV/AIDS to enhance their psychological well-being.