The Effectiveness of Group Counselling based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Distress Tolerance and Anxiety Sensitivity among Female Substance Abusers

Distress tolerance and anxiety sensitivity are considered traumatic factors for substance use disorders. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of group counselling based on acceptance and commitment therapy in distress tolerance and anxiety sensitivity among female substance abusers.
A quasi-experimental research method with pretest-posttest/control group research design was used in this study. The statistical population of this study included all the female substance abusers who were in drug rehabilitation centers of Arak city in spring 2016. Thirty female substance abusers were selected via convenience sampling method and were divided into control and experimental groups. Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) and Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) were used for data collection. The experimental group received eight 60-minute training sessions of ACT. Covariance analysis was used to analyze the data.
The results of data analysis showed that group counselling based on acceptance and commitment therapy increases distress tolerance and reduces anxiety sensitivity in female substance abusers in the experimental group compared with the control group.
Group counselling based on acceptance and commitment therapy can be applied for substance abuse dependent women and it can be used as a psychological intervention alongside medical treatments.