the effect of drugs-attention control training program on drug-related attentional bias and improving other indices of recovery

abstract introduction: implicit cognitions, especially attentional bias for drug-related stimuli (da), have been shown to play an important role in sustaining of, progression of, and relapsing to substance abuse behaviors. the present research tested the feasibility of attentional retraining with drug attention control training program (dactp). method: participants were a sample of in-treatment detoxified durg abusers (n=87), who were randomly divided into a group of controls and a group of trainees; the latter group received three sessions of training with the dactp. all participants completed a demographic questionnaire, temptation questionnaire, perceived stress scale (pss), positive affect and negative affect schedule (panas), situational confidence questionnaire (scq), readiness to change questionnaire (rtcq), personal concerns inventory (pci) and classic and drug-related stroop tests. also biofeedback (salavation) measurements were recorded while participants were exposed to dug and neutral stimuli. all participants were tested at post-training and one month later (full follow-up). a brief telephone, six-month follow up was also conducted to monitor their temptation, scq, rtcq, panas, pss, and the dose of their medicine and the number of relapses and lapses. conclusion: the results showed that training with the dactp reduces da and pass, at post treatment and the first fallow up; temptation and negative affect reduced at post treatment and the six-month fallow up; doses of medicine at fallow up six month; number relapse at fallow-up one and the six–month follow up. moreover, the reductions were accompanied by increases in scq's social problem at work and positive social situations which were observed at post test and the six- month fallow up. the implications of the findings for both theory and practice have been discussed. keywords drug dependence, attentional bias, stroop test, dactp, psychophsiological responding (salivation test)