The Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Nursing Students

The Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Nursing Students in the COVID 19 Process: Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives: This research was planned to examine the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on the post-traumatic stress symptoms of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design: Single-blinded study with parallel groups. Setting: Faculty of Nursing. Participants: 60 first-year students studying at the Faculty of Nursing were randomly assigned to the intervention (n=30) and control (n=30) groups.

Method: Data were collected using the Information Form prepared by the researcher and the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5. The intervention group was collected online three times, before the cognitive behavioral group therapy, at the end of the therapy and three months later. Group intervention program based on cognitive behavioral approach of ten sessions; face-to-face, the intervention group was divided into two separate groups and each group was completed in approximately one and a half months (May-June 2022), two days a week. Follow-up measurement was completed in September 2022. While group therapy was applied to the intervention group, no intervention was made to the control group.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Group

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Tekirdağ, Turkey
    • Burcu CEYLAN
  • Konya
    • Meram, Konya, Turkey
      • Fatma Yener Özcan

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being a first year nursing student

Exclusion Criteria:

• Being a foreign student
• Having a psychiatric diagnosis

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Expert support was received from the Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy Practitioner and Trainer of the Turkish Psychiatric Association in the creation of the sessions. The researcher applying the therapy has a CBT practitioner certificate. Group intervention program based on cognitive behavioral approach of ten sessions; It was completed in approximately one and a half months (May-June 2022) in the Faculty of Nursing, by dividing the experimental group into two separate groups, two days a week for each group. Each session was held for approximately one hour. The last measurement was made three months after the last therapy session (September 2022).	Other: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Group; Group intervention program based on cognitive behavioral approach of ten sessions; It was completed in approximately one and a half months (May-June 2022) in the Faculty of Nursing, by dividing the experimental group into two separate groups, two days a week for each group. Each session was held for approximately one hour. The last measurement was made three months after the last therapy session (September 2022).
No Intervention: Control; While group therapy was applied to the experimental group, no intervention was made to the control group.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)	Using the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for the DSM-5, symptoms of post-traumatic stress are assessed. Scores ranging from 0 to 80 points are obtained in the scale. In the interpretation of the results of the scale, it gives information about the level of symptoms by calculating the total symptom score together with the sum of the scores of the symptoms in each item, and it is recommended to use 28 as the cut-off point, although it varies according to the purpose of use (Blevins et al., 2015).	First assessment will be made at the baseline (pre-intervention)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)	Using the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for the DSM-5, symptoms of post-traumatic stress are assessed. Scores ranging from 0 to 80 points are obtained in the scale. In the interpretation of the results of the scale, it gives information about the level of symptoms by calculating the total symptom score together with the sum of the scores of the symptoms in each item, and it is recommended to use 28 as the cut-off point, although it varies according to the purpose of use (Blevins et al., 2015).	The second assessment will take place 5 weeks after the first assessment (after the program is completed).
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)	Using the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for the DSM-5, symptoms of post-traumatic stress are assessed. Scores ranging from 0 to 80 points are obtained in the scale. In the interpretation of the results of the scale, it gives information about the level of symptoms by calculating the total symptom score together with the sum of the scores of the symptoms in each item, and it is recommended to use 28 as the cut-off point, although it varies according to the purpose of use (Blevins et al., 2015).	Third assessment will take place average 12 weeks after the second assessment.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Necmettin Erbakan University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 10, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 30, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): November 30, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 7, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 7, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): September 14, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): February 26, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 23, 2024
• Last Verified: September 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Nurse; Therapy; Post-Traumatic Stress
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: BDTNurse

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No