The Effectiveness of Cognitive Therapy Based on Mindfulness on Cognitive Flexibility and Psychological Distress of Women with Drug Abuse Disorder

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of cognitive therapy based on mindfulness on cognitive flexibility and psychological distress of women with drug abuse disorder. Semi-experimental research method of pre-test-post-test type with the control group and the statistical population of the research included all women suffering from drug abuse disorder who referred to addiction treatment clinics in Zahedan city, ۳۰ people were selected purposefully and then on a peer basis. They were divided into two groups of ۱۵ people, experimental and control, and cognitive therapy training based on mindfulness was implemented on the experimental group during ۸ sessions of ۹۰ minutes. The research tools were the cognitive flexibility questionnaire (Dennis and Vanderwaal, ۲۰۱۰), the psychological distress questionnaire (Kaslero et al., ۲۰۰۲) and the educational package of cognitive therapy based on mindfulness (Kabat Zein et al., ۱۹۹۲). The validity of the research questionnaires was estimated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient of ۰.۸۹ for the cognitive flexibility questionnaire and ۰.۸۳ for the psychological distress questionnaire. For the statistical analysis of the data, univariate analysis of covariance and multivariate covariance analysis and one-sample t-test were used. The results showed that cognitive therapy based on mindfulness had a positive and significant effect on cognitive flexibility (and the components of perception of justifications, perception of control and perception of several solutions) and increased the cognitive flexibility of women with drug abuse disorder. Also, cognitive therapy training based on mindfulness had a positive and significant effect on the psychological distress of women with drug abuse disorder and reduced their psychological distress. Also, the results of the one-sample t-test showed that the level of cognitive flexibility of women with drug abuse disorder was at a low level, and the level of psychological distress of women with drug abuse disorder was at a high level.