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

The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy on cognitive emotion regulation and distress tolerance in women with spouses dependent on substances.

The research method employed was semi-experimental, utilizing a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of the research included all women with substance-dependent spouses dependent on substances who were referred to addiction treatment centers in Ahvaz city in 2024. Among these, 32 people were selected using convenience sampling and were randomly divided into two groups: experimental (n=16) and control (n=16). The participants in both groups completed the cognitive emotion regulation and distress tolerance questionnaires in the pre-test and post-test. Cognitive-behavioral therapy was conducted with the experimental group in eight 45-minute sessions, with a frequency of one session per week. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance.

The results showed a significant difference between the two groups. Cognitive-behavioral couple therapy increased distress tolerance and improved cognitive emotion regulation skills in women with substance-dependent spouses.

According to the obtained results, experts in the field of addiction can utilize cognitive behavioral therapy to enhance capabilities related to distress tolerance and cognitive emotion regulation skills.