Document Type : Original Article
Researchers
Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran
Ministerial Ethics Committee
Addiction, as one of the major public health challenges, has widespread consequences on physical, psychological, and social dimensions, especially in women. Although the process of quitting substance use leads to physical recovery, psychological harms such as impaired emotional regulation, reduced psychological well-being, and feelings of social exclusion remain persistent and increase the likelihood of relapse. In the meantime, psychotherapy, by reviewing character capabilities, is one of the newest and most effective aspects of mental health, and can play a significant role in rebuilding and improving the quality of life of recovered individuals. The present study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy to promote character capabilities on psychological well-being, emotional regulation, and feelings of social exclusion in women recovering from substance abuse. This study is a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population includes recovered women in Kerman city, a sample of whom is purposefully selected and then randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The intervention includes positive psychotherapy group sessions focusing on strengthening character capabilities. It is expected that the implementation of this intervention will lead to increased psychological well-being and emotional regulation and a decrease in feelings of social exclusion in the experimental group. The results of this study can provide a scientific basis for the use of empowerment-based treatments in psychological rehabilitation programs for women recovering from addiction in Iran.