Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Meseron Therapy in the Management of Thanatophobia among Patients with Chronic Diabetes
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic health condition that affects millions of people worldwide and is often associated with psychological challenges, including fear of death or thanatophobia. This study investigated the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Meseron Therapy in reducing thanatophobia among diabetic patients attending the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State. A between-subjects experimental design was adopted. Forty diabetic patients, comprising 19 females and 21 males aged between 39 and 63 years, participated in the study. The Templer Death Anxiety Scale was used for data collection. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, paired sample t-test and repeated measures ANOVA. Findings showed that CBT significantly reduced death anxiety among diabetic patients, t(19) = 12.03, p < .001. Meseron Therapy also significantly reduced death anxiety, t(19) = 10.34, p < .001. The mean score of the CBT group decreased from 20.35 at pre-test to 8.35 at post-test, while the Meseron Therapy group decreased from 15.35 to 5.55. Repeated measures ANOVA further revealed that both therapies independently and jointly produced significant reductions in thanatophobia, F = 508.26, p < .001. The study concluded that CBT and Meseron Therapy are effective interventions for reducing death anxiety among diabetic patients.
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