A comparison between the effectiveness of mindfulness-based group therapy with maintenance treatment in reducing precarious behaviors and explosive anger in opiate abusers

Jahangir, Amir Hossein; Masjedi, Abbas; Mojtahedi, Hossein; Nikdel Teymouri, Nushin; Imani, Saeed; Habibi, Mojtaba

doi:10.22038/jfmh.2016.8100

A comparison between the effectiveness of mindfulness-based group therapy with maintenance treatment in reducing precarious behaviors and explosive anger in opiate abusers

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Amir Hossein Jahangir ¹

Abbas Masjedi ²

Hossein Mojtahedi ³

Nushin Nikdel Teymouri ¹

Saeed Imani ⁴

Mojtaba Habibi ⁵

¹ Department of Clinical Psychology, Taleghani Educational Hospital, School of Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Taleghani Hospital, Evin, Tehran, Iran

³ Ph.D., Clinical psychology, Siavoushan Psychology Centre, Tehran, Iran

⁴ Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

⁵ Family Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

10.22038/jfmh.2016.8100

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness-based group therapy with maintenance treatment in reducing precarious behaviors and explosive anger in opiate abusers.
Materials and Methods: This was a clinical trial study conducted on 57 patient diagnosed with substance abuse were assigned randomly into the experimental group (mindfulness-based group therapy and common group therapy such as methadone therapy) and control group (camp group). The experimental group received treatment for 8 sessions. The participants were examined using structured interviews and Barratt Impulsiveness inventory (BIS). The results were analyzed using repeated measures variance analysis (ANOVA) and SPSS-19.
Results:The results showed that although both mindfulness-based group therapy intervention and common therapy caused the decreased precarious behaviors and impulsiveness behaviors in opiate abusers, the mindfulness-based group therapy intervention was more effective and significantly contributed to the increased mental health after opioid withdrawal for substance abusers. In addition, the results showed that the treatment impact was so significant in the follow-up period.
Conclusion: The results revealed that the mindfulness-based group therapy was effective compared to the maintenance treatment in reducing precarious behaviors and explosive anger in opiate abusers.

Keywords

Impulsiveness

Maintenance treatment

methadone

Mindfulness

Opioid

Substance abusers