The effectiveness of religious cognitive behavioral therapy in enhancing assertiveness and self-control among adolescent users of Zenith

This experimental study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Religious Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (RCBT) in enhancing assertiveness and self-control among adolescent users of Zenith, a substance of abuse.Using a pretest-posttest control-group design, the study involved 16 junior high school students (aged 11-15) from Banjarmasin, Indonesia, who were active users.Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n=8), which received three 120-minute RCBT sessions, or a waitlist control group (n=8).Validated and reliable scales measuring assertiveness (Cronbach's α = .930)and self-control (Cronbach's α = .896)were administered before and after the intervention.Quantitative analysis using the Mann-Whitney U test revealed a significant positive effect of the RCBT intervention.The experimental group demonstrated statistically significant increases in both assertiveness and self-control scores from pretest to posttest, while the control group showed no significant change.Qualitative observations further supported the intervention's acceptability and utility, indicating that participants gained practical cognitive and behavioral strategies integrated with religious values to refuse substance use.The findings suggest that RCBT is an effective, culturally contextual intervention for improving key protective factors, assertiveness, and self-control in adolescents at risk of substance abuse relapse.This study contributes to the literature on integrated therapeutic approaches and recommends the consideration of RCBT within broader adolescent substance prevention and rehabilitation programs.Further research with larger samples and longterm follow-up is warranted.