Effectiveness of the Cognitive Restructuring Approach on Irrational Beliefs and Hopelessness in Individuals With a Substance Abuse Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background:Nowadays, because of the increasing prevalence of addiction in society, there are many costs involved in treating addicts and returning them to normal lives. This will not be possible except in new and effective ways. Objectives:This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the cognitive reconstruction approach on irrational beliefs and hopelessness of people with substance abuse disorder. Methods:The statistical population of this study includes all people with substance abuse disorder, who were present in addiction treatment camps in Ardabil in 2018, from which 80 eligible people were selected using the available sampling method and Random methods were divided into experimental and control groups (40 people in each group). The experimental group underwent 8 sessions of 90 minutes of cognitive reconstruction intervention. Both groups completed the Ahwaz Irrational Beliefs 4-Factor Questionnaire and the Beck hopelessness test as a pretest and post-test. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance. Results:The results showed that the cognitive reconstruction approach was effective in reducing the irrational beliefs and hopelessness of the subjects in the experimental group (P< 0/01). Conclusions:On the basis of this study, it can be concluded that cognitive reconstruction intervention can be effective in improving irrational beliefs and reducing hopelessness in people with substance abuse.

Effectiveness of Positive Psychology Skills Training on Life Expectancy of Addicts in Tehran

“…Gives them, they already have a solution to get rid of frustration and meaninglessness and are looking for appropriate solutions in the future. Seligman states that one of the strategies that successfully increases lasting happiness is to identify and use inner capacities in newer ways 17,21…”

“…They also take an active position in this world, trying to overcome their problems and shape their lives personally, and to get out of any passive state of life. In the group, people were provided with opportunities to be able to recognize and recall their positive experiences, as well as to be aware of the positive aspects of others, which in turn is effective in increasing the self-esteem and happiness of addicts 16,17,20–23…”

“…In the group, people were provided with opportunities to be able to recognize and recall their positive experiences, as well as to be aware of the positive aspects of others, which in turn is effective in increasing the self-esteem and happiness of addicts. 16,17,[20][21][22][23] Positive psychology skills appear to be able to illuminate the windows of hope in the hearts of addicts and give meaning to their lives, but for this effect to be significant and can be used in treatment and education programs, care must be taken. More in preparing treatment protocols, providing social support resources, strict control of research conditions, more training of addicts in the field of positive thinking, and the level of awareness of this skill, are some of the things that should be considered.…”

“…Seligman states that one of the strategies that successfully increases lasting happiness is to identify and use inner capacities in newer ways. 17,21 It can be said that one of the options to increase the life expectancy of addicts is that they consider themselves involved in the prison of addiction and consider all areas of their lives, including happiness, as dependent on getting rid of addiction. By breaking free from the trap of deterministic thinking, addicts are encouraged to recognize their positive experiences and their role in increasing self-esteem, self-confidence, and at the same time the ability to recognize the positive aspects of others.…”

Feasibility and clinical utility of a transdiagnostic Internet-delivered rational emotive and behavioral intervention for adolescents with anxiety and depressive disorders

“…Evidence to support irrational beliefs as transdiagnostic factors includes that a) there is a moderate positive association between irrational beliefs and distress (e.g., general distress, anxiety, depression, anger, guilt) according to the results of a meta-analysis ( Vîslă et al, 2016 ), b) irrational beliefs are mechanisms of change in interventions that aim to reduce emotional distress ( Smith, 1983 ; Szentagotai et al, 2008 ), c) irrational beliefs appear across multiple mental health problems, such as: anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis, addictions ( David et al, 2018 ; Rezaeisharif et al, 2021 ; Vîslă et al, 2016 ) d) are investigated as predictors or maintenance factors of psychological distress, namely for PTSD ( Hyland et al, 2015 ), depression and anxiety in patients with diabetes ( Vassou et al, 2021 ), paranoia ( Soflau and David, 2019 ). Moreover, there is extensive evidence that catastrophic thinking is a transdiagnostic process across mental disorders, such as anxiety disorders (panic, phobia), obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, health anxiety, pain, psychosis, irritable bowel syndrome, and traumatic brain injury ( Gellatly and Beck, 2016 ).…”