The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Thwarted Belongingness and Perceived Burdensomeness in Addicted Individuals

Background and Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness of addicted people. Methods: The research method was semi-experimental and using a pre-test, post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of the present study included addicted people who were referred to the Ardabil Health Care Center in 2018. The sampling method in this study was convenience sampling, and from among the referring people, 30 persons who were entered into the sample were selected and responded to Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (pre- test). There were randomly assigned into two groups of 15 experimental and control groups, which received 8 consecutive 90-minute treatment sessions based on acceptance and commitment and did not receive any interventional control group. At the end, interpersonal needs questionnaire was implemented in both groups (post- test), and the data from pre and post- test implementation were analyzed by single available analysis of covariance. Results: The results of this study showed that acceptance and commitment therapy has a significant effect on thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness of addicts (p<0/01). Conclusion: Acceptance and commitment therapy can be applied to reduce the feeling of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness of addicted people and it can be used as a psychological intervention.