Evaluation of the Reciprocal Effect of Motivational Interviewing and CBT on Cognitive Functioning of Patients with Methamphetamine Use Disorder

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the reciprocal effect of Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on the cognitive functioning of patients diagnosed with Methamphetamine Use Disorder (MUD). Employing a quasi-experimental, mixed- methods design with pre-, interim, and post-assessments, the study involved 16 male participants aged between 21 and 42 years (M = 33.00, SD = 5.82), recruited from a private rehabilitation center in Lahore, Pakistan. Participants were purposively sampled and randomly assigned to two equal groups. Group A received MI followed by CBT, while Group B received CBT followed by MI, over 12 sessions (2 sessions/week). Standardized instruments, including the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Trail Making Test (TMTA& B), and Digit Span Test (DST forward and backward), were used to assess cognitive performance at three time points. Results indicated that both MI and CBT interventions were effective in enhancing cognitive functioning. However, greater improvement was observed in participants who received CBT before or after. The time effect was significant across all cognitive measures (p < .001), showing improvement in cognitive domains such as attention, memory, and executive function from pre- to post- therapy. The findings suggest that integration of MI and CBT, especially when MI precedes CBT, is effective in improving cognitive outcomes in individuals with MUD. Moreover, the integrated MI and CBT sequence demonstrated greater cognitive gains compared to what would be expected from either therapy alone.