The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment (Act) Therapy on Cognitive-Emotional Regulation and Self-Efficacy in Struggling with Problems in People with Substance Abuse Treated with Methadone

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment (ACT) therapy on cognitive-emotional regulation and self-efficacy in struggling with problems in men with substance abuse treated with methadone.

The present study was quasi-experimental (pre-test and post-test with control group). The statistical population of this study included methadone- treated men in Bojnourd. The sample included 30 men selected by available sampling method and then randomly divided into two control and experimental groups. The experimental group was asked to receive a 10 -session group meetings based on acceptance and commitment, but the control group was not exposed to any activity. At the end, both groups underwent a post-test simultaneously by self-efficacy questionnaire and emotional cognitive regulation. Data were analyzed by multivariate covariance analysis.

The findings of the study showed that acceptance and commitment therapy increased the scores of subscale of the automatic problem-oriented approach and those of cognitive-emotional regulation (positive re-focus, re-focus on planning, positive revaluation, Acceptance and adoption of the viewpoint) were significant. (P 0/001).

Acceptance and commitment therapy and also cognitive- emotional regulation can help the methadone treated patients.