Volume 11, Issue 3 (Autumn 2025)
J Health Res Commun 2025, 11(3): 100-113 |
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YazdaniPour M, Kazemian Moghadam K, Shahbazi M. Impact of Emotion-focused Therapy on Distress Tolerance and Loneliness in Iranian Women With Opioid Use Disorder. J Health Res Commun 2025; 11 (3) :100-113
URL: http://jhc.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-1165-en.html
URL: http://jhc.mazums.ac.ir/article-1-1165-en.html
Department of Psychology, Dez.C., Islamic Azad University, Dezful, Iran.
Abstract: (342 Views)
Introduction and Purpose Women with opioid use disorder (OUD), particularly in Iran, suffer more from its physical and psychological consequences compared to men. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of emotion-focused therapy (EFT) on distress tolerance and loneliness in Iranian women with OUD.
Methods This is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test/one-month follow-up design. The study population comprised all women who visited addiction treatment centers in Ahvaz, south of Iran, in 2023. Using a purposive sampling method and based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 women were selected and randomly assigned to the EFT (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The intervention group received EFT based on Geller & Greenberg's protocol across 8 90-minute group sessions, while the control group received no specific intervention during this period. Data collection tools included the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) and the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (R-UCLA). Data analysis was performed using mixed ANOVA with repeated measures and the Bonferroni post-hoc test in SPSS software, version 27.
Results The main effect of the intervention on increasing distress tolerance (effect size=0.28, P=0.003) and reducing loneliness (Effect size=0.27, P=0.003) was statistically significant. The mean DTS score in the EFT group increased by 8 units from pre-test to post-test, and the mean R-UCLA score decreased by 7.66 units. These effects remained stable at the one-month follow-up phase (P<0.001).
Conclusion Group EFT is an effective intervention for increasing distress tolerance and reducing loneliness in Iranian women with OUD, with its effects remaining stable in the short term. By focusing on feelings and enhancing emotion regulation skills, EFT can be used as a complementary treatment in addiction treatment programs for women.
Methods This is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test/one-month follow-up design. The study population comprised all women who visited addiction treatment centers in Ahvaz, south of Iran, in 2023. Using a purposive sampling method and based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 women were selected and randomly assigned to the EFT (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The intervention group received EFT based on Geller & Greenberg's protocol across 8 90-minute group sessions, while the control group received no specific intervention during this period. Data collection tools included the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) and the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (R-UCLA). Data analysis was performed using mixed ANOVA with repeated measures and the Bonferroni post-hoc test in SPSS software, version 27.
Results The main effect of the intervention on increasing distress tolerance (effect size=0.28, P=0.003) and reducing loneliness (Effect size=0.27, P=0.003) was statistically significant. The mean DTS score in the EFT group increased by 8 units from pre-test to post-test, and the mean R-UCLA score decreased by 7.66 units. These effects remained stable at the one-month follow-up phase (P<0.001).
Conclusion Group EFT is an effective intervention for increasing distress tolerance and reducing loneliness in Iranian women with OUD, with its effects remaining stable in the short term. By focusing on feelings and enhancing emotion regulation skills, EFT can be used as a complementary treatment in addiction treatment programs for women.
Type of Study: Research(Original) |
Subject:
Psychology
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