Journal of Addiction Research & Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

D rug addiction is a physical, psychological, social, and spiritual disease. Thus, its therapeutic interventions contain both pharmacological and psychological interventions, such as methadone therapy and life skills training. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the effects of pharmacological intervention (methadone therapy) and life skills training on emotional intelligence, mood, and high-risk behaviors in drug abusers. This research quasi-experimental design with pre-post tests (pre test and post test) and control group. This statistical included all the addicted clients referred to the private and public drug withdrawal centers in Rasht and Zibakenar at the first semester of 2013. Our sample consisted of 45 drug abusers (15 in methadone therapy group, 15 in life skills training group, and 15 in control group) that were selected using convenient sampling method according to the studys entering criteria, and assigned into the experimental or control groups by random. First, both groups were evaluated using the inventory of Bar-Ann emotional intelligence, Mood Questionnaire Watson & Colleagues, and Maudsley Addiction Profile. Then, one of the experimental groups received a 3 month length pharmacological intervention by methadone, while the other received a 10 session life skills training program, and the control group did not receive any intervention. At the end, all the participants completed the post-tests. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate covariance. Results showed that pharmacological intervention with methadone and life skills training have lead to enhanced emotion intelligence, improved mood, and decreased high-risk behaviors in drug abusers. These findings corroborated the significant role of some pharmacological and psychological interventions, such as methadone therapy and life skills training in drug abusers, which can be associative with their mood, emotional intelligence, and high-risk behaviors

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