Effect of a group-based cognitive behavioural therapy program on the psychological wellbeing, quality of life and coping of students with sickle cell disease in Nigeria

Sickle cell disorder (SCD) is a serious blood disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. It is particularly prevalent in Africa. The condition can be associated with physical and psychological difficulties. There are no studies of psychological interventions for people affected by SCD in Africa where the majority of affected persons live. Eighteen students with SCD aged 16–24 years at University of Ibadan, Nigeria received five sessions of manualised group-based CBT. The sessions included psycho-education about SCD, strategies for managing negative thoughts and feelings, activity scheduling, relaxation techniques, and attention diversion. The outcome measures: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Coping Skills Questionnaire modified for sickle cell disease-adult version (CSQ-SCD), and Short-Form health survey (SF-36), were administered at baseline and repeated 1 week after the intervention. Post-intervention, there were significant reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms (p = 0.001 and 0.02, respectively), increase in active and passive coping skills (p = 0.04 for both), and increase in social functioning (p = 0.001). Students' satisfaction with the intervention was very high. The study suggests that group-based CBT intervention is feasible, acceptable and appears helpful in reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms, improving adaptive coping skills, and social functioning of Nigerian University students affected by SCD.