{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]],"date-time":"2026-08-07T15:23:29Z","timestamp":1786116209755,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"Maad Rayan Publishing Company","content-domain":{"domain":["ahj.kmu.ac.ir"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Addict Health"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,23]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Addiction is one of the most prevalent mental disorders. Epidemiological studies indicate that drug users often exhibit symptoms such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, nosophobia, and social dysfunction. In this study, the mental health of drug users in Ahvaz harm reduction facilities was evaluated through the effects of short-term cognitive-behavioral group therapy, medication therapy, and their combination. Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group. The study population comprised male drug users aged 18\u201357 years undergoing treatment at harm reduction centers in Ahvaz in 2023. One center was selected from the two addiction reduction centers in Ahvaz, and 60 participants were purposively sampled and evenly assigned to three experimental groups and one control group. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) developed by Goldberg (1979). Statistical analyses were performed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS version 24. Findings: The findings revealed a significant reduction in mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, somatization, and social dysfunction, in the experimental groups following the interventions. However, no significant changes were observed in the control group. The effect size (\u03b7\u00b2=0.171, P=0.002) indicated a significant interaction between treatment type and mental health improvement, demonstrating the effectiveness of pharmaceutical, non-pharmaceutical, and combined treatments. Conclusion: Short-term cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) combined with pharmaceutical therapy was found to be effective in improving mental health and its components. Based on these findings, integrating this treatment approach into harm reduction centers is recommended.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.34172\/ahj.1544","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]],"date-time":"2026-08-06T08:18:12Z","timestamp":1786004292000},"page":"1544","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.34172\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The Effectiveness of Short-Term Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy, Pharmaceutical Therapy, and Combined Treatment on the Mental Health of Drug Users at Harm Reduction Centers in Ahvaz"],"prefix":"10.34172","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0697-3367","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Reza","family":"Davasaz Irani","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8224-8805","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Tayebeh","family":"Sharifi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychology, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"20123","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"R1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.52547\/etiadpajohi.17.67.55???"},{"key":"R2","unstructured":"Fakhri A, Alavi SM. The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral group therapy on reducing the anxiety and depression of opioid addicts in Ahvaz. In: 5th National Conference on Psychological Updates. Tehran: Allameh Tabatabai University; 2018. [Persian]."},{"key":"R3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.33846\/hn.v2i1.96"},{"key":"R4","unstructured":"United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). World Drug Report. UNODC; 2017."},{"key":"R5","unstructured":"National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Drugs, Brain, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction. NIDA; 2018. Available from: https:\/\/www.drugabuse.gov\/publications\/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction\/treatmentrecovery."},{"key":"R6","unstructured":"Hajebi A. A Guide to Alcohol and Tobacco Use Disorders in Primary Health Care, for Physicians. Tehran: Ministry of Health, Office of Mental, Social and Addiction Health Publications; 2019. [Persian]."},{"key":"R7","unstructured":"Pakseresht S, Alavi SM. The effectiveness of short-term cognitive-behavioral therapy in the mental health of drug users in Ahvaz. In: 14th International Congress on Addiction Knowledg; 2020; Tehran."},{"key":"R8","unstructured":"Kouimtsidis C. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in the Treatment of Addiction: A Treatment Planner for Clinicians. 1st ed. Tehran: Danje Publications; 2021. [Persian]."},{"key":"R9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12888-023-05413-4"},{"key":"R10","unstructured":"Noorbala A. National Survey of Mental Health and Social Capital for Iranians of 15 Years Old and Older. Tehran: Tehran University of Medical Sciences Publications; 2019. [Persian]."},{"key":"R11","unstructured":"Ministry of Health. Brief Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention Guide. Tehran: Office of Mental, Social and Addiction Health Publications; 2017."},{"key":"R12","unstructured":"Ministry of Health. Methadone Maintenance Treatment Protocol. Tehran: Office of Mental, Social and Addiction Health Publications; 2019."},{"key":"R13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2020.8279"},{"key":"R14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/add.13651"},{"key":"R15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.32598\/rj.20.3.222???"},{"key":"R16","unstructured":"Jarban M, Najafianpuor B. Comparison of mental health on two groups of drug withdrawal and self-help and methadone therapy. Journal of Psychology New Ideas 2023;15(19):1-9. [Persian]."},{"key":"R17","unstructured":"Larkian T, Fakhri A. The Effectiveness of a Brief Intervention in Reducing Depression in Drug Addicts Under the Comprehensive Health Service Centers of Ahvaz City in the Program of the New System of Health Services. Proceedings of the First Asian Meeting of the World Addiction Medicine Association; 2019; Tehran, Iran. [Persian]."},{"key":"R18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10608-020-10167-4"},{"key":"R19","unstructured":"Jabal Zaijani L, Keshavarz M, Mohammad-Rezaei A. Comparison of Life Expectancy and Mental Health of Patients Under Methadone Maintenance Treatment with Patients Under Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment. The 5th Annual Congress of the Scientific Association of Psychotherapy of Iran - The Place of Relationship in Psychotherapy; 2023; Tehran, Iran. p. 59. Available from: https:\/\/civilica.com\/doc\/1881777."},{"key":"R20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.22034\/jmpr.2023.57303.5683???"},{"key":"R21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.52547\/etiadpajohi.17.67.355???"}],"container-title":["Addiction and Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/ahj.kmu.ac.ir\/article_93113_bdc244ebc5dcde601ce853a88d4405ae.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/ahj.kmu.ac.ir\/article_93113_bdc244ebc5dcde601ce853a88d4405ae.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,6]],"date-time":"2026-08-06T08:18:20Z","timestamp":1786004300000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/ahj.kmu.ac.ir\/article_93113.html"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,23]]},"references-count":21,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.34172\/ahj.1544","relation":{},"ISSN":["2008-4633","2008-8469"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2008-4633","type":"print"},{"value":"2008-8469","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,23]]},"assertion":[{"value":"Kerman University of Medical Sciences","name":"journal_owner","label":"Journal Owner"},{"value":"Kerman University of Medical Sciences","name":"journal_publisher","label":"Journal Publisher"},{"value":"2024-03-05","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-07-21","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-02-23","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}