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Background& Aim: Substance abuse is associated with high prevalence of psychiatric disorders including mood disorders (especially depression), personality disorders and psychosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of methadone and its result on substance induced depression-symptoms among IV drug abusers of Kashan prison in 1384. Method & Materials: This is a semi-experimental study. A two part questionnaire including demographic data and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to participants by the prison clinical psychologist. After insuring privacy, performing the questionnaire, and interviewing with each participant done by three psychologists, oral methadone was prescribed to non-excluded participants. After three months of taking methadone, they were re-evaluated by BDI and re- interviewed by psychologists for making diagnoses based on DSM-IV. Data were analyzed by paired T-test.   Findings: Based on clinical interview, from the 35 participants, 26(74.2%) were diagnosed as having Major Depressive Disorder , 2 of whom were excluded from the study and referred for further follow up because of suicidal thinking .The rest 9 participants (25.7%) were not depressed. After the intervention, of all 24, 19 ones(79.16%) showed relative improvement and 5(20.83%) remained unchanged. A significant reduction was found in the mean BDI score after the intervention(p Conclusion: This study showed that methadone can reduce depression severity in IV drug abusers.

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Aim and Background: Chronic use of opiates has been associated with a wide range of cognitive deficits, involving domains of attention, inhibitory control, planning, decision-making, and memory. Therefore, the main aim of this research was the comparison of executive functions in heroin dependents and patients on methadone therapy with a control group. Method and Materials: The retrospective research method was used in the current study. Purposeful sampling method was used in methadone and heroin groups, but control group participants were selected randomly. Statistical population in this study consisted of heroin dependents and methadone users, in Isfahan city in 2012, who had been referred to medial, rehabilitation centers, and psychiatric clinics. Finally, 75 patients were selected in three groups [methadone (n = 25), heroin (n = 25), and control groups (n = 25)] according to the criteria of drug abuse or dependence in DSM-IV-TR. Then, they were evaluated based on the Tower of London and Stroop neuropsychological Tests. Findings: Results of analysis of variance show that the control group had a better performance in the Tower of London and Stroop tests in comparison with heroin dependents and methadone users groups (P ≤ 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between heroin dependents and methadone users groups.   Conclusions: Heroin dependency and methadone use, probably, causes prefrontal cortex and executive dysfunctions, and neurological disturbances in frontostriatal systems. According to these findings, we can design professional cognitive rehabilitation programs to rehabilitate patients in their personal, occupational, and social life.

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Aim and Background: Substance use disorder (SUD) is one of main issues in the field of mental health and can have negative consequences for patients as well as their families and the society in which they live. The purpose of this study was the investigation of the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and methadone treatment on quality of life (QOL), cravings management, and psychological distress in individuals abstaining from drugs. Methods and Materials: This research was implemented using the multiple baseline experimental design within the framework of a single-subject research. Based on the study inclusion criteria, 4 patients were selected using convenience sampling and assigned to the CBT and methadone treatment groups. Individuals in the methadone treatment group received their medication in accordance to the prescription of a physician and those in the CBT group underwent 12 sessions of CBT for addiction. All participants completed the quality of life questionnaire, craving beliefs questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) at certain intervals. Findings: Given the visual inspection of charts, effect size, indicators of improvement, and reduction in scores, CBT was more effective than methadone treatment in increasing QOL (effects size of -0.9 versus -0.62) and reducing depression symptoms (effect size of 0.92 versus 0.78). However, both treatment methods were equally effective in reducing craving (effect size of 0.84 versus 0.74) and anxiety symptoms (effect size of 0.86 versus 0.87). Conclusions: It can be concluded that CBT can decrease psychological distress and cravings and improve QOL through thinking structure modification.