Abstract

This study examined Effect of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) on substance abuse of senior secondary school students in Benue State. The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design which includes pretest and posttest. Using purposive sampling technique, two secondary schools in were selected for the study. The total population of the study was 3528 consisting of all SS two students while the sample size was 100 respondents identified by form teachers and a baseline test. The participants were assigned to treatment and control groups. The experimental group was treated with REBT education on substance abuse for twelve weeks while the control group received no treatment. The instrument for data collection was a modified REBT inventory and The Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST 20) Inventory named REIDASTI. It was validated by experts in the Department of Guidance and Counselling, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, with a coefficient alpha value of 0.89 at p.≤ 0.05. Two research questions and null hypotheses were formulated for the study. The results revealed that there was significant difference in mean ratings between the experimental and control groups in their measurement on substance abuse. There was significant effect of treatment on the ability of student’s to overcome their substance abuse challenges 9.78 p.≤ 0.05. Likewise, the result further revealed that there was significant difference in the main effect of gender (male and female) responses in the REBT intervention 10.78 p < .05). Based on the findings, it was recommended that Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy should be used in management of students who involved substance abuse. School administrators should organize capacity building workshops and seminars for school counsellors to enhance their skills in the use of REBT counselling to curb the menace of substance abuse among students of secondary schools. It was also recommended that substance/drug free clubs and drug education should be introduced in secondary schools curriculum to enhance students’ awareness of the adverse effects of substance abuse.