The effect of cognitive-behavioralgroup therapy using trans-theoretical model on the level of depressive symptoms and methadone dose consumed by patients undergoing methadone maintenancetreatment

This study aims to investigate the effect of cognitive-behavioral group therapy using trans-theoretical model on the level of depressive symptoms and methadone dose consumed by patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). This clinical trial was conducted on MMT patients of Ibn Sina Hospital Clinic in Mashhad during 6 months (autumn and winter of 2010). Through available sampling، 12 patients were selected and underwent 15 sessions of cognitive-behavioral group psychotherapy using trans-theoretical model، and 12 patients also formed the control group. Inclusion criteria were literacy (ability to read and write)، passing at least a month after the end of MMT induction period، lack of major psychiatric disorders on axis I except for opiate dependency، and lack of borderline personality disorder. The methadone dose was obtained from daily clinic medical reports and depression symptoms were measured by symptom checklist-90-revised test at the beginning and end of the study. Data analysis was performed by SPSS version 16، using independent t-test and one-way ANOVA. There was a significant difference (P<0. 001) as much as 57% between the subjects’ mean depression scores in the two test and control groups after controlling the effect of pre-test، age، and methadone consumption. However، there was no significant difference between the mean methadone dose consumed among the two groups in post-test (P=0. 07). Cognitive-behavioral group therapy using trans-theoretical model could be effective in reducing depression symptoms in patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment; however، it has no significant effect on methadone dose consumed by them in the short term. professor of psychology، Psychiatry and Behavioral Research Center، Mashhad University of Medical Sciences