Effectiveness of Self-Management Therapy in the Management of Psychological Distress Among Adolescents with Hearing Loss in Oyo State, Nigeria

Introduction: Psychological wellbeing has been linked to wellness in all facets of life. However, this may be altered when man becomes distressed because of some factors influencing man’s stable psychological wellness. Hence, such conditions need to be moderated. Objective: The primary objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness of self-management therapy in the management of psychological distress among adolescents with hearing loss. Methods: This study is quasi experimental pre-test-post- test design to investigate the effectiveness of self-management therapy in the management of psychological distress using a sample of 39 adolescents with hearing loss purposively selected through the Kesler Psychological Distress Scale with index scores of 19 and above. Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (Core-10) and Rosenberg Self-esteem Rating Scale were used for both pre and post- test. Results: The results revealed that there was a significant main effect of treatment (self-management therapy) on management of psychological distress among adolescents; there was a significant main effect of onset of hearing loss on participants’ management of psychological distress and there was a significant interaction effect of onset of hearing loss and self-esteem on participants’ management of psychological distress. Conclusion: Self- management therapy proved effective in the management of psychological distress among adolescents with hearing loss; hence the focus should be on the use of self-management therapy to manage distressed conditions among adolescents with hearing loss.