THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY (ACT) IN REDUCING CRAVING IN METHAMPHETAMINE ADDICT PATIENTS: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Background & Aims: Today substance abuse, as one of the chronic diseases of psychiatry, has become one of the major problems in the societies .The aim of this study was to investigate the  effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in reducing craving in methamphetamine addict patients. Materials & Methods: This study used single-case experimental design in asynchronous manner. Three male methamphetamine addict patients that attended Welfare organization and the Addiction Withdrawal Center in Takab were selected by diagnostic and structured clinical interview and purposeful sampling method. Structured Clinical interview (SCID-5-RV), demographic characteristic questionnaire, urine test, Desire for Drug Questionnaire (DDQ), and Individual Therapy Protocol (ACT) were used to collect the necessary data. The achieved results were analyzed by the visual inspection, reliable change index (RCI), change percentage formula, clinical significance change and operational measurement. Results: Findings showed that acceptance and commitment therapyare statistically significant (P<0.05) in reducing craving and its subscales. Conclusion: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is effective in reducing the intensity of craving and its subscales in methamphetamine addict patients.