Effectiveness of Guided Imagery on Level of Perceived Stress and Depression Among Sober Alcohol Dependents Admitted in De-Addiction Centers of Selected Areas

Introduction: Alcohol abuse poses significant health challenges, affecting individuals and families. Guided imagery therapy offers a promising approach to manage stress and emotions, potentially mitigating the impacts of alcoholism and depression. Methodology: This study employed a quasi-experimental, non-randomized control group design with a quantitative approach to assess the effectiveness of guided imagery therapy on perceived stress and depression in sober alcohol dependents at selected de-addiction centers. Baseline characteristics, including age, gender, education, family type, occupation, income, and duration of alcohol use, were collected using Tool I. Stress levels were measured with the 5-point Perceived Stress Scale (Tool II), while the 4-point Hamilton Depression Scale (Tool III) assessed depression. Written permission from de-addiction authorities and informed consent from participants were obtained. The sample included 60 sober alcohol dependents from Maharashtra, selected via non-probability purposive sampling. Test-retest reliability for stress and depression was confirmed, with scores of 0.89 and 0.90, respectively. Result: The study assessed the effectiveness of guided imagery therapy on perceived stress and depression among sober alcohol dependents using a quasi- experimental design. In the experimental group, pre-test data revealed that 60% experienced severe perceived stress, which decreased to 66.66% at moderate levels post-intervention, demonstrating significant improvement (t-value: 20.018). Conversely, the control group showed no change, with 80% remaining in the severe category pre- and post-test (t-value: 0.1054). Similarly, for depression, the experimental group reported 63.34% severe depression pre-test, reducing to 70% at moderate levels post-test (t-value: 7.907), while the control group exhibited no significant change. Analysis of associations with demographic variables revealed no significant correlations for age, education, family type, or occupation; however, a significant relationship was found between the duration of alcohol consumption and depression levels (chi-square: 8.948). Conclusion: Thus, guided imagery therapy effectively perceived stress and depression reduced among the experimental group.