Abstract
BACKGROUND: Congress 60, as an NGO, provides services to people with substance use disorders (SUDs). Despite offering services and evaluating their effectiveness in several studies, the underlying theory of interventions and the impact process of these interventions have not been investigated within this organization. The purpose of this study is to obtain the underlying theory of changes in treatment outcomes in this organization. METHODS: To achieve this theory, the grounded theory methodology was used. The data for this study consisted of the results of in-depth individual interviews with 26 individuals treated at Congress 60 branches, as well as documents. The analysis of these data was conducted using continuous comparison analysis to extract concepts, involving open, axial, and selective coding. Trustworthiness was evaluated according to the grounded theory principles. FINDINGS: The core concept derived from this study was the "Theory of Transformations in the Psyche" as presented in Congress 60. Subcategories of the core concept included the psyche, the addictive psyche, and the healthy psyche. CONCLUSION: In Congress 60, psyche is defined as the expression that a person shows, which is the interaction of physical structures and worldview. A person with SUD has an addictive psyche that is demonstrated in daily behavior and, therefore, experiences adverse outcomes. The person treated at Congress 60 achieves a healthy psyche, as shown in daily behavior, and thus experiences positive outcomes. The theory obtained in this study can explain the process of change in the outcomes in Congress 60.