The effect of daily therapeutic community model on personality traits of the substance abusers referred to Khorramabad TC center

Drug abuse and addiction is a social and medical burden which has drastic consequences in the community. There has been various rehabilitative and healing programs for the addicts.The conducted studies have shown that therapeutic community treatment model is an appropriate method for restoring the addicts to society. The present study tries to evaluate the impact of TC treatment programs on the addicts’ personality characteristics.

This interventional study includes all the male addicts for whom the detoxification period has been finished. The subjects were selected using easy random sampling method form clients referred to TC center. At the beginning of the study, SCL90 questionnaire was filled out by psychologist for each sample, then 60 cases were selected based on the sample size formula. The subjects participated in a training TC program for three months daily except weekends. At the end of a three-month program, SCL 90 was given to the subjects to be completed and the data were gathered and analyzed.

The results showed that the subjects before entering the study were: 16.7% normal, 40% border personality disorder, 30% sick and 13.4% very sick. After intervention of TC, 25% normal, 66.7% with suspicious,8.3% sick. None of the cases were highly sick after the TC intervention.The mean of the marks for personality disorders before the TC intervention was 2.4± 0.92,after the intervention it was 1.83 ± 0.56.The Willcoxson rating test showed a significant difference between the severity of personality disorders before and after the TC intervention(p<0.001).

As it was mentioned in the findings, the implementation of TC intervention had a significant effect on the scores obtained for personality disorder. So administrators and policy makers who are responsible for addiction control are recommended to develop and support the centers for Therapeutic Community and endeavour to provide a life without narcotic substances.