Abstract:
Alcohol addiction is the excessive and compulsive craving for and alcohol consumption
which often results in lowered physical and mental alertness. Reports have shown that
alcohol addiction is prevalent among members of the National Union of road Transport
workers in Lagos State, Nigeria. Previous studies have focused more on triggers of
alcohol addiction than on psychological interventions. This study, therefore, was carried
out to determine the effects of Functional-Analytic Psychotherapy and Psychoeducation
on the reduction of alcohol addiction among members of the National Union of Road
Transport Workers in Lagos State. The moderating effects of self-efficacy and distress
were also investigated.
The study was anchored to Self-determination Theory, while the pretest posttest control
group quasi experimental design with a 3x3x3 factorial matrix was adopted. The multistage sampling procedure was used. The purposive sampling technique was used to select
three local Government Areas (Alimosho, Ojodu, Agege) based on heavy traffic and easy
access to alcohol. Ninety seven members of the National Union of Road Transport
Workers who scored at least 10+ in Alcohol Use Disorder identification Test
Questionnaire were selected and randomly assigned to Functional-Analytic Psychotherapy
(32), Pscyhoeducation (35) and Control (30) groups. The instruments used were Alcohol
Use Disorder identification Test (𝛼 = 077). Socrates Alcohol Drinking (𝛼 = 0.72), SelfEfficacy (𝛼 = 0.79) and Distress (𝛼 = 0.81) sclales. The treatment lasted eight weeks.
Data were analysed using Analysis of covariance and Bonferroni pair-wise test at 0.05
level of significance.
The participant’s age was 38.0±2.1 years and all were male. There was a significant main
effect of treatment (F(2.78)=3.504 partial 𝜂2 = 0.127). The Functional-Analytic
Psychotherapy participants had the highest reduction in alcohol use, followed by
participants in psychoeducation and control groups. There was a significant main effect of
self-efficacy on alcohol addiction (F(1.78)=6.779, partial 𝜂2 = 0.220). The participants
with high self-efficacy (39.81) had a better reduced alcohol addiction than their
counterparts with low self-efficacy (25.72). There was no significant main effect of
distress. There was a significant interaction effect of treatment and distress (F(4.74)=4.098,
𝜂2 =0.255) in favour of the participants with low level of distress in the Functional –
Analytic-Psychotherapy group. The two-way interaction effect of treatment and selfefficacy was not significant. There was no significant interaction effect of self-efficacy
and distress. The three-way interaction effects of treatment, self-efficacy and distress was
not significant.
Functional-Analytic Psychotherapy, more than Psychoeducation, was effective in reducing
alcohol addiction among National Union of Road Transport Workers in Lagos State
Nigeria. Counselling psychologists and other helping professionals should adopt these
intervention to control alcohol addiction.
