The Effectiveness of the Narcotics Anonymous Association Twelve-Step Training on Social Acceptance, Psychological Well-being, Quality of Life, and Craving in Substance-Dependent Individuals

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the Narcotics Anonymous Association twelve-step training on social acceptance, psychological well-being, quality of life, and craving in substance-dependent individuals.

The present research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all anonymous substance-dependent individuals referring to addiction treatment centers in the city of Abarkooh in 2020. Among them, 40 people were selected using convenience sampling method and were randomly divided into two experimental (n=20) and control (n=20) groups. Participants in both groups completed the social acceptance questionnaire, the psychological well-being questionnaire, the quality of life scale, and the craving questionnaire in pre-test and post-test. The twelve-step sessions of the Narcotics Anonymous Association were implemented on the experimental group in twelve 60-minute sessions based on the World NA Association’s (2008) book. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance.

The results showed that after controlling for the effect of pre-test, the effect of the twelve-step training significantly affected social acceptance, psychological well-being, quality of life, and craving, and this educational program significantly led to improving social acceptance, psychological well-being, and quality of life, and reducing craving in substance-dependent individuals.

Based on the results of the present research, the sessions of the Narcotics Anonymous Association can be used to improve social and psychological problems and reduce the craving of substance-dependent individuals.