THE EFFECT OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY ON POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS SYMPTOMS OF NURSING STUDENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Objective: This study was conducted to examine the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on post-traumatic stress symptoms of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic.Method: This pre-test, post-test, parallel group, randomized controlled study was conducted with 56 first-year nursing students (intervention = 26 and control = 30). Data were collected three times: before, at the end of and three months after the cognitive behavioral group therapy using the information form and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5. Independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA and mixed design ANOVA were used to evaluate the data. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Ref: NCT06037005).Results: It was determined that 65,6% of the students had posttraumatic stress symptoms and that the within-group changes in the scores obtained during cognitive behavioral therapy and in the follow-up measurement differed significantly with a large effect size (p<0,001). It was seen that the change in the mean total score and all subscale scores of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 was significant over time (p<0,05), and that the common effect of time interaction on total score and hyperarousal subscale scores differed significantly with a large effect size (p<0,001). In the intervention group, it was found that the joint effect of the group × time interaction on the total score and subscale scores of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 differed significantly with a medium effect size (p<0,05).Conclusion: Group therapy based on the cognitive behavioral approach was found to be effective in reducing posttraumatic stress symptoms after COVID-19.