The Effectiveness of Motivational Psychotherapy on Mental Health in Women with Substance-Dependent Spouses

The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of motivational psychotherapy on mental health in women with substance-dependent spouses.

The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. The research statistical population included all women referring to addiction treatment clinics in the city of Torbat Heydariyeh, whose husbands were under methadone treatment, in 2021. Among them, 30 people were selected using the convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned to two experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups. The experimental group participated in 10 sessions of motivational psychotherapy, while the control group did not undergo any intervention. The research tool included the general health questionnaire and multivariate analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data.

The results showed that motivational psychotherapy significantly improved mental health, depression, anxiety, physical symptoms, and social performance of women with substance-dependent spouses.

The results of this research can open the way for counselors and therapists to help women with substance-dependent spouses.