The Effects of Supportive Group Psychotherapy on Perceived Self-efficacy and Intention to Drug Abstinence among Adolescents with Amphetamine Addiction

Abstract

This quasi-experimental research aimed to examine the effects of supportive group psychotherapy on perceived self-efficacy toward amphetamine abstinence and intention to amphetamine abstinence among adolescents with amphetamine addiction. The samples consisted of 24 male adolescents receiving amphetamine therapy at Charoenrat Community Health Center, Bangsaothong District, Samutprakan Province and were equally divided into an experimental group (n = 12) and a control group (n = 12). The research instruments comprised the supportive group psychotherapy, a questionnaire of demographic data, the Drug Abstinence Self-Efficacy Scale with the reliability of .82, and a questionnaire of intention to amphetamine abstinence with the reliability of .94. The implementation and data collection were conducted from November 3 to December 29, 2015. Statistics used for data analysis included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, independent t-test, and two-way repeated measures ANOVA with multiple comparisons by Bonferroni.

The research results revealed that 1) at post-test and 1-month follow-up period, the experimental group had statistically significant higher mean scores of perceived self-efficacy toward amphetamine abstinence and intention to amphetamine abstinence than the control group (p < .001); and 2) at pre-test, post-test, and 1-month follow-up period, the experimental group had statistically significant different mean scores of perceived self-efficacy toward amphetamine abstinence and intention to amphetamine abstinence (p < .001).

This research suggests that health care providers should appropriately apply the principles of supportive group psychotherapy for people with drug addiction in order to enhance their perceived self-efficacy toward drug abstinence and intention to drug abstinence.