The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention as a Supplement to Maintenance Therapies on the Prevention of Recurrence and Improvement of Symptoms of Mental Disorders in Substance-Dependent Patients

Objective: Addiction is a type of social harm that has widespread psychological and physical disorders and imposes high costs on communities. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral non-pharmacological intervention as a supplement to maintenance therapies on the prevention of recurrence and improvement of symptoms of mental disorders in patients with opioid abuse in Tabriz. Method: This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. For this purpose, 60 men with opioid abuse were selected using convenience sampling method and randomly assigned into experimental (n=30) and control (n=30) groups. Participants responded to the relapse prediction scale and the symptom checklist-90. Data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance. Results: The results showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy was effective in preventing recurrence. Also, cognitive-behavioral intervention was effective in improving the symptoms of mental disorders in patients with opioid abuse. Conclusion: Given the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on the recovery of individuals with substance abuse, this intervention can be used by therapists and counselors to treat this group of patients.