Comparison of the Effectiveness of Cognitive Hypnotherapy and Schema Therapy on Difficulty in Emotion Regulation in Substance-Dependent Individuals

Objective:The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of cognitive hypnotherapy and schema therapy on the difficulty in emotion regulation in substance-dependent individuals.Method: The research employed a semi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test and follow-up approach, including a control group.The statistical population comprised all substancedependent patients seeking treatment in addiction treatment centers in the first district of Tehran from 2022 to 2023.A total of 51 individuals were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group.Data was collected using the difficulty in emotion regulation scale.The experimental groups received schema therapy for 10 sessions (90 minutes per session weekly) and cognitive hypnotherapy for 8 sessions (90 minutes per session weekly), while the control group did not undergo any intervention.Data analysis was conducted using analysis of variance with repeated measurements.Results: The findings demonstrated the effectiveness of both cognitive hypnotherapy and schema therapy in reducing the difficulty of emotion regulation in substance-dependent individuals, with schema therapy showing greater efficacy in the post-test compared to cognitive hypnotherapy.Conclusion: Given the effectiveness of cognitive hypnotherapy and schema therapy in substance-dependent individuals, psychologists are encouraged to utilize these treatment modalities to enhance emotion regulation difficulties and address addiction-related behaviors.