Using cognitive behaviour therapy to treat posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among Nigerian journalists covering violence

This study examined the effectiveness of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) in reducing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Nigerian journalists reporting violence in Nigeria. The study utilised a quasi-experimental design with the between-within-subject model. The sample size was 580 Nigerian journalists reporting three selected violent activities-banditry, farmers/herders conflict and separatist agitation. The analysis showed that prior to the intervention, all the journalists reported high mean scores on PTSD symptoms. However, the post-intervention analysis revealed a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms of journalists in the CBT group, but those in the non-CBT group did not significantly improve. A follow-up evaluation after 12 months revealed a steady decline in the PTSD symptoms of journalists in the CBT group. Still, those in the non-CBT group did not record a significant reduction. No significant interacting effect of gender was detected. However, there was a significant interactive effect of perceived organizational support on the treatment condition, p = 0.001, eta p2 = 0.052. We highlighted the implications of these results on control master theory and journalism practice.