Community Health Journal

Community Health Journal

The Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Reducing Psychological Distress, Increasing Mental Health Literacy of Men Who Were Members of Narcotics Anonymous

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
P Rajabi 1
B Amirpour 2
1 MSc student, Dept of psychology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant Prof, Dept of psychology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22123/chj.2024.412270.2028
Abstract
Introduction: Addiction, as a complex psychiatric disorder and one of the major problems of societies, can lead to suffering and psychological distress for addicts and those around them. This research was conducted with the aim of determining the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in reducing psychological distress and increasing mental health literacy among men who were members of Narcotics Anonymous in Kermanshah.
Materials and Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population included all men who were members of the Narcotics Anonymous Association of Kermanshah in 2022. Thirty people were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned into two equal groups. The experimental group received 8 sessions DBT (90 minutes session per week), but the control group did not receive any interventions. Demographic information checklist and Kessler et al psychological distress questionnaire and Ekonor & Casey's mental health literacy scale were used to collect data. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance MANCOVA.
Results: The results of this research showed that the educational intervention reduced psychological distress (F=7.506, Eta=0.231, P=0.011), increased mental health literacy (F=12.619, Eta=0.375, P=0.002) of men who are members of Narcotics Anonymous has been significantly effective.
Conclusion: Based on the results of the current research and the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy on reducing psychological distress and increasing mental health literacy of the participants, it is recommended to use this new generation behavior therapy method in addiction-related interventions.
Keywords
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Health Literacy
Addiction
Psychological Distress
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Community Health Journal
Volume 18, Issue 1
Summer 2024
Pages 34-45