Comparison of the Effectiveness of Community-Based Treatment (TC) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) in the Defense Mechanisms of People Addicted to Methamphetamine

Rashidzadegan Dost, Vali; Shahabizadeh, Fatemeh; Ahi, Ghasem

doi:10.22055/psy.2024.45520.3170

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Community-Based Treatment (TC) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) in the Defense Mechanisms of People Addicted to Methamphetamine

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Vali Rashidzadegan Dost ¹

Fatemeh Shahabizadeh ²

Ghasem Ahi ³

¹ PhD. student in psychology, Birjand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Birjand, Iran.

² Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Birjand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Birjand, Iran.

³ Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Birjand branch, Islamic Azad University, Birjand, Iran.

10.22055/psy.2024.45520.3170

Abstract

The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the therapeutic community (TC) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) on the defense mechanisms of methamphetamine addicts. The present study was applied in terms of purpose and was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with two experimental groups and a control group with a follow-up period. The study population included all methamphetamine addicts who used methamphetamine at least twice a month and at most three times a week for 2 years, who were receiving treatment in two treatment centers: Raz Aramesh Community Therapy Center and NA sessions at Shahid Ostadian Welfare Center in Shiraz during the first 6 months of 2021. To examine and compare three groups, 15 people in each group, for a total of 45 people, were considered. The instrument used in this study was the Andrews et al. Defense Mechanisms Questionnaire, and the TC treatment protocol and the NA treatment protocol were administered in two 90-minute sessions. In all three groups, these questionnaires were first distributed, and then educational interventions were conducted for the test groups. Finally, a post-test was administered to all three groups after two months. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-22, and covariance statistical tests were used for final analysis. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the meaning of only the subscales of inhibitory control and selective attention, somatization, isolation, sublimation and suppression, and neuroticism in the experimental (under NA) and control groups. The results of the Bonferroni test show that there is a significant difference in the mean of the subscales of memory, planning, and social cognition, autistic fantasy omnipotence mechanisms and suppression, neuroticism, extraversion, and openness between TC and NA, and TC had a higher effectiveness. Therefore, according to the results, TC and NA treatment can be used to reduce maladaptive defense mechanisms.

Keywords

Therapeutic community (TC)

Narcotics Anonymous (NA)

defense mechanisms

methamphetamine addicts

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