Residential rehabilitation refers to longer-term maintenance of abstinence within a contained residential setting. Residential rehabilitation programs are often based on 12-step principles and use a social or family model to catalyze changes of individual behavior.[14] A study found that among patients enrolled in a long-term residential treatment, stimulant use decreased at a 1-year follow-up but increased significantly from 1 year to 5 years post-treatment.[15] MA-specific residential rehabilitation centers have been recently established in some large cities in Iran and this program has recently contributed to rehabilitation of MA users in the country. Residential rehabilitation is the most prevalent inpatient treatment for MA use and dependence in Iran. A recent review of the literature regarding the role of 12-step self-help activities in recovery from MA use disorders suggests that the integration of this approach into treatment processes is associated with decreased drug use and enhanced treatment outcomes for patients.[16]
In recent years, 12-step programs in Iran have contributed to recovery from MA use. Many Iranian MA users, who receive the Matrix model or residential treatment, also attend 12-step groups and continue treatment with 12-step self-help groups after treatment discharge[17] but there is no study on the efficacy of such programs on MA use treatment in the country.