Comparison of the Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Resilience in Adolescents Undergoing Methadone Treatment
Shirin Chapi, Abdolhassan Doulah, Alireza Bibak
Rooyesh Psychological Journal July 1, 2026 DOI: 10.66224/rooyesh.15.4.201 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest and control group design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Adolescents receiving methadone treatment at addiction rehabilitation centers in Bushehr during the first half of 2024 |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) |
| Duration | MBCT: eight sessions; tDCS: ten sessions |
| Measures | Resilience Scale (RISC-CD; Connor & Davidson, 2003) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Both MBCT and tDCS groups showed significantly higher posttest resilience scores than the control group at the 0.05 level after controlling for pretest scores. The authors conclude that MBCT was more effective than tDCS in increasing resilience among adolescents undergoing methadone treatment. |
Abstract
The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on resilience in adolescents undergoing methadone treatment. This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest and control group design. The statistical population comprised adolescents receiving methadone treatment at addiction rehabilitation centers in Bushehr during the first half of 2024. 60 people were purposefully selected from the aforementioned population; this study had two experimental groups and a control group, each of which had 20 people randomly selected. Data were collected using the Resilience Scale (RISC-CD; Connor & Davidson, 2003). The first experimental group received eight sessions of MBCT, while the second received ten sessions of tDCS. Data analysis was conducted using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The findings showed that by controlling for the pretest effect, there was a significant difference at the 0.05 level between the mean posttest of resilience in the experimental and control groups. In addition, the findings showed a significant difference at the 0.05 level in the posttest resilience scores of the experimental group. Overall, it can be concluded that MBCT was more effective than tDCS in increasing resilience among adolescents undergoing methadone treatment.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |