Adaptation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Methamphetamine Dependence in Pakistan: A Heuristic Framework

Abstract

Substance use disorder is a challenge for the whole world, but currently many new types of drugs are being introduced to young adults. Methamphetamine use is an escalating concern in Pakistan especially among youth and other populations. To address this unique psychosocial challenge, the traditional treatment plans are often falling short, and hence there is a need to adopt new interventions which can give promising results like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Its focus on value-based living and psychological flexibility offers a promising alternative. Hence, there was a need to culturally adapt ACT to be effective in the sociocultural context of Pakistan. The heuristic framework was employed to adapt a Motivational Interviewing/Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (MI/ACT) transdiagnostic manual for substance use and co-occurring mental health problems (Thurstone, Timmerman & Metzler, 2018) for methamphetamine dependence in Pakistan, integrating evidence-based strategies with contextual relevance. This framework helped in the adaptation of the ACT manual by addressing linguistic translation, cultural sensitivities, family involvement, stigma, and systemic barriers while preserving the theoretical integrity of ACT.