Journal of health research in community

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beheshtiMotlagh A, narimani M, basharpoor S. Comparing the Effectiveness of Two Relapse-Prevention Approaches—Mindfulness-Based and Integrative Interventions—in Improving Emotion Regulation Among Individuals Recovering from Substance Use Disorder: A Quasi-Experimental Study. J Health Res Commun 2026; 12 (1) :60-74
URL: http://jhc.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-1247-en.html

Introduction and Purpose: Substance use disorder is associated with difficulty in emotion regulation, deficits in coping skills, and a high likelihood of relapse. Although mindfulness-based relapse prevention has received attention in recent years, new evidence suggests that integrative interventions that simultaneously target cognitive, emotional, and behavioral components may be more effective. The present study aimed to compare the effect of an integrative relapse prevention intervention package and mindfulness-based relapse prevention on emotion regulation in substance-dependent individuals.
Methods: The present quasi-experimental study was employed a pre-test-post-test design with a follow-up phase and a control group. The statistical population consisted of 60 individuals with substance dependence attending addiction treatment centers. Participants were selected via convenience sampling and randomly assigned to three groups: an integrative relapse prevention group (n=20), a mindfulness-based relapse prevention group (n=20), and a control group (n=20). Both prevention programs comprised eight 90-minute sessions. Data were collected using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire developed by Gross and John (2003) and analyzed using SPSS software, version 26 utilizing a repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Results: The findings showed that both interventions significantly increased cognitive reappraisal and reduced emotional suppression compared to the control group (P<0.001). However, the integrative relapse prevention intervention was more effective in increasing cognitive reappraisal (η²=0.697) and reducing emotional suppression (η²=0.702) at post-test and follow-up compared to mindfulness-based relapse prevention. 
Conclusion: The results of this study support the use of multicomponent interventions based on emotion regulation in relapse prevention programs. Attention to training cognitive reappraisal skills and reducing the use of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies should be considered in treatment and rehabilitation programs for people with substance use disorders.