The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy and Existential Group Therapy on Anxiety in ‎Addicted Patients Undergoing Methadone Maintenance Treatment

Authors

  • Saeid Alami Department of Health Psychology, Khorramshahr Persian Golf International Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khorramshahr, Iran, Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Saeid Bakhtiarpour
    Saeedbakhtiarpoor@iauahvaz.ac.ir
    Department of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran, Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Parviz Asgari Department of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran, Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Naser Seraj-Khorrami Department of Psychology, Dezful Branch, Islamic Azad University, Dezful, Iran, Iran, Islamic Republic of
Vol 7, No 4: 2020
Quantitative Study(ies)
November 4, 2020

Downloads

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of cognitive-behavioral group therapy (CBGT) and existential group therapy on anxiety in addicts undergoing methadone maintenance treatment (MMT).

Methods: The present semi-experimental research was conducted with a pretest-posttest design, follow-up, and a control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all addicted men undergoing MMT and referring to addiction treatment and harm reduction clinics in Qazvin, Iran, in 2019 (n = 1139). A total of 36 addicted patients referring to addiction treatment and harm reduction clinics were randomly assigned to 2 experimental groups (12 in each group) and 1 control group (n = 12). After random assignment, 1 experimental group participated in 10 sessions (120 minutes for each session) of existential therapy and the other experimental group participated in 10 sessions (120 minutes for each session) of CBGT. The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI‎) was used to collect the data. Data were analyzed using mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results: The results showed that CBT (F = 16.84, P = 0.0001) and existential group therapy (F = 4.81, P = 0.0001) decreased anxiety levels at the level of 99% confidence interval (CI). This effect remained stable until the follow-up stage. In addition, among the two methods, CBGT was more effective on anxiety than existential group therapy (P = 0.017).

Conclusion: Therapists should prioritize CBGT over other treatment modalities to reduce psychological problems such as anxiety in addicts.