Comparison of the Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Resilience in Employed and Unemployed Substance-Dependent Individuals in Recovery

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on resilience among employed and unemployed substance -depeendent individuals in recovery. Method:The research method was a quasi-experimental design with a posttest design with a control group.The study population consisted of all employed and unemployed men who had sought for addiction treatment at two rehabilitation centers in Tehran province in 2022.Of these, 90 individuals were selected using the convenience sampling method and randomly divided into two experimental groups (n=60) and one control group (n=30).The experimental groups received 8 sessions of 90-minute group therapy (one session per week), and participants completed the resilience questionnaire.Data were analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance.Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference in the level of resilience between employed and unemployed substance-dependent individuals in recovery.Additionally, the level of resilience in employed and unemployed individuals recovering from substance dependence in the treatment groups differed significantly from the control group, with higher resilience observed in the treatment groups.Overall, the results indicated that the effects of both ACT and CBT interventions in increasing resilience were greater for employed individuals recovering from substance dependence compared to unemployed individuals.Furthermore, both interventions were effective in increasing resilience among individuals recovering from substance dependence, but there was no significant difference between the effects of the two methods.Conclusion: The findings of the study suggest that employment (social support) is an effective intervention for treating individuals with substance dependence and preventing relapse.Therefore, employment is the missing link in addiction treatment, and the use of cognitive therapies in conjunction with employment for individuals with substance dependency is an effective method for treating addiction and reducing relapse.