The Relationship between Self-Compassion and Self-Efficacy in Predicting Relapse Risk among Methamphetamine Users

Background: Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a complex social phenomenon that continues to rise across diverse human societies, despite growing knowledge and awareness of its consequences. Psychological factors can diminish the effectiveness of opioid withdrawal interventions. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the effects of self-compassion and self-efficacy on relapse rates among methamphetamine users over a one-year follow-up period in Kermanshah, Iran. Methods : This cross-sectional study involved 105 patients (mean age = 36.00, SD = 10.72) diagnosed with SUD, randomly selected from those admitted to the Farabi Psychological Center in Kermanshah in 2023. Data were collected using the Self-Compassion Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Substance Abuse Risk Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multivariate regression with SPSS 18.0 software. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 36.00 ± 10.72 and 95 (91.3%) patients were male. The findings of the research showed that the total self-compassion score of the participants was 2.90± 0.31.The self-efficacy score of the subjects was 47.52 ±11.11 on average, and the levels of both variables were low in most patients. The scores obtained from responding to the risk of substance abuse relapse questionnaire were on average 105.43 ±16.92 and most people had an average level of relapse risk. Among the studied variables, the relationship of self-compassion and self-efficacy with drug relapse was highly significant and inverse (p<0.001). The self-efficacy variable with a standard regression coefficient of -0.441 has been the most important in explaining the variance of the risk of drug relapse. Conclusions: Based on the findings regarding the impact of self-compassion training on reducing craving and enhancing self-efficacy in patients with methamphetamine dependence, we recommend integrating self-compassion skills training into drug rehabilitation centers and hospital wards to complement conventional therapies.