This study evaluated the effectiveness of a brief behavioral-contextual intervention delivered through 11 weekly individual sessions (45 minutes each) to improve emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and psychological flexibility among adults undergoing residential rehabilitation for problematic substance use in a Mexican therapeutic community. The intervention combined functional analysis, Dialectical Behavior Therapy strategies adapted for substance use disorders, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy techniques. Participants received structured materials, including a session manual, mindfulness audio recordings, worksheets, and adapted behavioral monitoring tools.

A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with matched allocation was used. The Treatment Group (n = 19) received the structured intervention, while the Comparison Group (n = 17) received usual residential care based on a 12-step model. Primary assessments were administered at baseline and seven weeks after baseline. Primary outcome measures included changes in total scores on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS). Secondary outcomes included psychological flexibility (AAQ-II), emotion regulation strategies (ERQ reappraisal and suppression subscales), and behavioral indicators such as craving logs and engagement in value-consistent activities.

Procedures to ensure implementation fidelity included a standardized intervention manual, periodic clinical supervision, and consistent documentation using structured forms. Due to practical constraints and a moderate sample size, the statistical plan relied on robust analytical strategies, including nonparametric tests, permutation-based ANCOVA, and bootstrap estimation to evaluate effect sizes and sensitivity. All participants provided written informed consent, and the protocol was approved by an institutional ethics committee. Individual-level data will not be publicly shared due to confidentiality requirements; methodological materials and analytic scripts may be made available upon request and under confidentiality agreement.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a behavioral-contextual intervention, delivered in 11 weekly individual sessions (45 min each), aimed at improving emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and psychological flexibility among adults in residential rehabilitation for problematic substance use in a Mexican therapeutic community. The protocol combined functional analysis, DBT (SUD adaptations) and ACT techniques, practice materials (mindfulness audios, worksheets) and an adapted behavioral monitoring system. The design was quasi-experimental pre-post with a Treatment Group (TG; n = 19) and a Comparison Group (CG; n = 17) receiving usual care (12-step program). Primary measures were DERS, DTS, ERQ and AAQ-II administered at baseline and 7 weeks post-baseline. Implementation fidelity was supported by a manual, monthly supervision and standardized records. Analyses used robust methods (nonparametric tests, permutational ANCOVA, bootstrap, robust estimators).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 18 years.
• Resident of the participating therapeutic community undergoing treatment for problematic substance use or alcohol.
• Capacity to provide informed consent and complete self-report assessments.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Active psychosis or unstable psychiatric comorbidity that precludes participation.
• Severe cognitive impairment preventing participation.
• Refusal to participate or unavailability to complete baseline and post assessments.

If data sharing is conducted, only de-identified Individual Participant Data (IPD) will be made available, including coded demographic variables, baseline assessments, intervention adherence indicators, and pre-post outcome measures. No information that could directly or indirectly identify participants will be shared. Data will be provided exclusively for research purposes upon reasonable request and subject to a data-use agreement ensuring confidentiality and appropriate use. Study documentation such as manuals and analytic code may also be shared when relevant.

IPD will be available only upon reasonable request from qualified researchers after completion of the primary analysis and publication of the study results. Availability will not include informed consent forms, as these documents are confidential and protected. The availability period will begin once the principal investigator receives a formal request and will remain open as long as there is a valid and ethically approved research purpose. All data will be provided in anonymized form and in full compliance with data protection regulations.

Access to IPD and supporting information will be restricted to qualified researchers affiliated with academic or clinical institutions capable of meeting ethical and regulatory standards. Access will be limited to anonymized data relevant to clearly defined scientific research purposes approved by an ethics committee. Formal requests must be submitted to the principal investigator, who will evaluate the scientific rationale and confidentiality safeguards. Upon approval, data will be shared through a secure transfer mechanism under a data-use agreement that prohibits any attempt at re-identification.