Abstract
Introduction: Drug addiction is one of the most serious psychological, social, economic, and
health hazards that needs prevention and treatment considering its serious consequences for
the individual and human society. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of
acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and quality of life improvement training (QOLT) on
distress tolerance and self-destructive behaviors in substance abusers.
Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with pre- and post-test design and a control group.
The statistical population included men over 20 years old referred to addiction treatment centers
in Mashhad. The sample consisted of 45 volunteers who were selected by purposive sampling
method and were divided into 3 groups (two experimental and one control group). Experimental
groups received ACT and skills training based on the quality of life, while the control group did
not receive any experimental intervention. The Distress Tolerance Scale (Simons and Gaher) and
Self-destructive Behavior Questionnaire (Owens) were used as research tools in the study. Data
were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance using SPSS version 24.0 software.
Results: The results of the analysis of covariance showed that the therapeutic methods used in
this study were effective in improving distress tolerance and self-destructive behaviors in men
with substance abuse (P<0.001). Moreover, according to the Bonferroni follow-up test, there
was no significant difference between the two treatments.
Conclusion: ACT and QOLT significantly improved distress tolerance and self-destructive
behaviors in substance abusers.