The Comparison of the Effectiveness of Schema Therapy and Unified Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders on Tendency to Drugs in Men Undergoing Methadone Maintenance Treatment

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of schema therapy and unified transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders on tendency to drugs in men undergoing methadone maintenance treatment.

The present study was a quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest design and follow-up with a control group. The statistical population of the present study included all men undergoing methadone maintenance treatment who referred to Shahid Mellatdoost service-support complex supervised by Tehran Welfare Organization in 2009. Among them, a sample of 45 people was purposefully selected and randomly assigned into two experimental groups and one control group (15 people in each group). Following the study, 10 people were excluded from the study. Thus, 11 people in the schema therapy group, 13 people in the group of unified transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders, and 10 people in the control group were remained. To collect the data, the addiction potential scale was used, which was completed by individuals of all three groups in the pre-test, post-test and two-month follow-up stages. The first and second experimental groups respectively received schema therapy intervention and unified transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders in 17 sessions of 45 to 60 minutes individually. The control group did not receive any intervention and was only undergoing methadone maintenance treatment.

The results showed that both therapeutic interventions were effective in reducing tendency to drugs and these effects remained after two months of follow-up. Also, there was a difference between the effectiveness of schema therapy and unified transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders at the end of treatment and after two months of follow-up. The unified transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders was more effective in reducing the tendency to drugs compared to schema therapy.

This study showed that schema therapy and unified transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders are effective in reducing tendency to drugs and can be used by therapists.