The Impact of Therapeutic Factors on Locus of Control of Addicts in Therapeutic Communities

Therapeutic Factors and Member Satisfaction in an Online Group Intervention During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate members' perceptions of the therapeutic factors during a group intervention that was designed to mitigate the adverse psychological effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the imposition of restrictive measures, their satisfaction with the online format of the intervention, and how these are associated with the intervention's outcomes. The participants (N = 44, M _age  = 31.93, SD = 8.09) were Greek adults who attended a 2-week, voluntary, online group intervention. To assess the effectiveness of the intervention, 1 week before and 1 week after implementation, participants completed several questionnaires measuring their demographic characteristics, empathy, resilience, affectivity, feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety levels, and feelings of fear regarding the outbreak. One week after the intervention, they also completed two questionnaires evaluating the therapeutic factors and their satisfaction and impressions regarding telemental health counseling. Analyses showed that the most frequently cited therapeutic factor was guidance, followed by acceptance, self-disclosure, universality, and instillation of hope. Therapeutic factors of catharsis, self-disclosure, guidance, self-understanding, vicarious learning, and therapeutic alliance correlated with elements of empathy, resilience, loneliness, positive emotions, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and fear of the coronavirus. Satisfaction with the online format of the intervention was associated to universality, elements of empathy, and symptoms of depression. More specifically, member satisfaction was negatively correlated with improvement in personal distress and depression, an unexpected finding that may be attributed to the brief duration of the present intervention. The practical value of the results for the development and implementation of online psychological interventions during a crisis is discussed.

The effects of drug addiction treatment methods on families' behaviors: The Congress 60 treatment method

BACKGROUND

When a family member who uses drugs begins drug abstinence, this change can cause a great deal of tension within a family. Although family members are willing to help drug users overcome their addiction, they sometimes disrupt the treatment process and, in many cases, resist change altogether.

METHOD

This qualitative research study uses grounded theory to study the factors that contribute to positive family change and changes in the family system throughout the treatment process. The study selected 39 participants from among the clients at Congress 60 Human Revivification Society using purposive sampling until the study reached data saturation. The study collected information from participants during semistructured interviews. The participants consisted of 18 men who used drugs and 21 individuals from their families who had undergone one year of treatment at Congress 60.

RESULTS & DISCUSSION

The findings of the current study show that peace in the family is an influential factor that helps drug users overcome their addiction. Clear boundaries, detachment, and reduced emotional distance were the major structural changes that participating families exhibited after educational interventions, positive family support, and they gained trust in the treatment method.