{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,21]],"date-time":"2026-05-21T18:12:38Z","timestamp":1779387158936,"version":"3.53.1"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,14]],"date-time":"2026-05-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778716800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Zhuhai Federation of Social Sciences","award":["2025GJ035"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025GJ035"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["EJIHPE"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Relapse in substance use disorders remains a persistent clinical challenge. Identity reconstruction, the psychological transition from an internalized \u201caddict\u201d identity to a recovery-oriented self, may be a core coping mechanism for abstinence maintenance. This exploratory pilot stratified randomized controlled trial examined the feasibility and preliminary effects of a Narrative Therapy (NT) group intervention, delivered within an evidence-based practice framework. Forty-five male residents of a closed rehabilitation facility were randomly assigned (n = 15 each) to an 8-week NT intervention, standard psychoeducation (TAU), or waitlist control (WLC). The Self-Identity Scale and an abbreviated four-item Stimulant Relapse Risk Scale served as outcomes. The Self-Concept Clarity Scale assessed a candidate process variable. A 3 (group) \u00d7 3 (time) repeated-measure ANOVA showed significant group \u00d7 time interactions for self-identity (F = 64.215, p &lt; 0.001, and \u03b72p = 0.754) and relapse-risk indicators (F = 62.131, p &lt; 0.001, and \u03b72p = 0.747). For self-identity, only the NT group showed significant within-group gains. For relapse-risk indicators, NT scores were significantly lower than both control groups at post-test and follow-up (all pairwise p \u2264 0.008), with these reductions maintained at two-month follow-up. Within-group self-concept clarity gains emerged for NT, though between-group differences were nonsignificant. Because the study was conducted in a custodial setting, the relapse-risk findings reflect psychological vulnerability rather than observed behavior. Larger adequately powered trials are needed.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ejihpe16050068","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,21]],"date-time":"2026-05-21T16:46:18Z","timestamp":1779381978000},"page":"68","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Identity Reconstruction as a Coping Mechanism in Addiction Recovery: A Pilot Stratified Randomized Controlled Trial of Narrative Therapy Group Intervention"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Peipei","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Mental Health Education Center, Zhuhai Campus, Jinan University, Zhuhai 519070, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2375-9581","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yanan","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Physical Education Department, Zhuhai Campus, Jinan University, Zhuhai 519070, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xu","family":"Cheng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hong","family":"Xie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhuhai Compulsory Isolation Drug Rehabilitation Center, Zhuhai 519080, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huanxian","family":"Huang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhuhai Compulsory Isolation Drug Rehabilitation Center, Zhuhai 519080, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jun","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhuhai Compulsory Isolation Drug Rehabilitation Center, Zhuhai 519080, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yangwei","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Zhuhai Compulsory Isolation Drug Rehabilitation Center, Zhuhai 519080, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alex Pak Ki","family":"Kwok","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Data Science and Policy Studies Programme, School of Governance and Policy Science, Faculty of Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiacheng","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Education for the Future, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, Zhuhai 519087, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice (2006). 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