The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Distress Tolerance and Resilience in Women with Substance-Dependent Incarcerated Spouses

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy on the distress tolerance and resilience of women with substance-dependent incarcerated spouses.

The present study was a semi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population of the study included all women with substance-dependent incarcerated spouses who were served by the Tehran Prisoners Support Association in 2024. Among them, 30 individuals were selected by the convenience sampling method and were randomly divided into an experimental group (n =15) and a control group (n =15). Participants in both groups completed the distress tolerance scale and the resilience scale in the pre- and post-test. Cognitive behavioral therapy was conducted in the experimental group in 8 sessions of 90 minutes each with a frequency of two sessions per week. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance.

The results showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups, and that cognitive behavioral therapy significantly increased distress tolerance and resilience in women with substance-dependent incarcerated spouses.

Based on the results, cognitive behavioral therapy can be used by counselors and family therapists to improve the distress tolerance and resilience of women with substance-dependent incarcerated spouses.