Comparison of the Effectiveness of Music Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Quality of Life, Craving and Emotion Regulation in Patients Under Methadone Maintenance Therapy

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of Music Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Quality of Life (QoL), craving, and emotional regulation in patients under methadone maintenance therapy. Methods: The method of the study was quasi-experimental and multi-group pre-test and post-test design. The statistical population consisted of all clients treated with methadone maintenance therapy in addiction treatment clinics affiliated with Tehran Health Organization in 2018. Then 54 people of whom (18 in each group) were selected through purposeful sampling in two experimental groups (Music-Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and a control group was included. The data was collected using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the Quality of Life Questionnaire, and Craving Questionnaire. The ANCOVA was used for data analysis. Results: The results showed that both Music Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Improved the QoL, emotion regulation in the experimental group compared to the control group and significantly reduced craving (P<0.01). The results of the follow-up test showed that the mean scores of the experimental groups in the study variables were significantly different from the control group. Conclusion: There was a significant difference between the treatment groups in terms of their effect on the QoL and negative cognitive emotion regulation so that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy was more effective in regulating negative emotions and enhancing the QoL but there was no significant difference in regulating for positive emotions and reducing craving. These results suggest that both treatments significantly increase the QoL, emotional regulation, and it reduces craving.