Comparison of the Effectiveness of Schema Group Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Group Therapy on Substance Abusers’ Temptation and Impulsivity

The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the effectiveness of Schema Group Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Group Therapy in treating substance abusers’ temptation and impulsivity.  

The study was a quasi-experimental project with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments. The study sample consisted of 60 male substance abusers who were purposefully selected and assigned in three groups: schemes therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and control. All subjects completed questionnaires of temptation and impulsive beliefs in three phases: pre-test, post-test, and follow-up.

Comparing the experimental groups and the control group, the results showed that both schema therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy significantly led to decreases in substance abusers’ temptation and impulsivity. Moreover, the results showed that schema therapy is more effective than acceptance and commitment therapy in reducing substance abusers’ temptation. However, there was no significant difference between the two treatment methods in reducing substance abusers’ impulsivity. These results remained unchanged in the follow-up phase.