فاطمه گوهری

Aim: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of self-encouragement training on the homesickness (including longing for family, desire to return home, maladjustment, feelings of loneliness, yearning for familiar people and environments) in non-native university students. Method: This research employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test–post-test control group. The statistical population consisted of all first-year non-native university students residing in university dormitories at the Islamic Azad University of Ardabil. From this population, 30 university students were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=15) and a control group (n=15). Data were collected using the Homesickness Questionnaire developed by Van Vliet (2001). The experimental group received 10 sessions of self-encouragement training based on the encouragement training Shwanker's model (1979). Self-encouragement training is a psychological intervention aimed at enhancing resilience and reducing negative emotions by promoting self-acceptance, recognizing personal strengths, and fostering a positive outlook on life. Data analysis was conducted using multivariate covariance analysis via SPSS software, version26. Findings: The results showed that the self-encouragement Training significantly reduced the level of homesickness in the experimental group. Specifically, the post-test mean scores of homesickness and its subcomponents significantly decreased after the intervention (p<0.01). Conclusion: The self-encouragement training significantly reduced feelings of homesickness and its related components among non-native university students. This finding demonstrates the effectiveness of this psychological intervention in improving emotional adjustment and alleviating longing for family and familiar environments. Therefore, it can be considered an effective approach for providing psychological support to non-native university students.

Aim: Emotional and cognitive components such as emotional intelligence, Alexithymia, and thought-action fusion have a significant impact on generalized anxiety disorder, and the above components are considered to be the main factors in the creation and continuation of this disorder. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare emotional intelligence, Alexithymia and thought-action fusion in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and normal people.Method: The present study was descriptive and causal-comparative in terms of its fundamental purpose and data collection method. The statistical population of the research was all generalized anxiety patients who referred to specialized psychiatry and counseling clinics in Qazvin city in the spring and summer of 1402, who were diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder by specialists. From this statistical population, 50 people with pervasive anxiety and 50 normal people were selected by available sampling method. The tools of this research were Bar-N's Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (1980), Toronto Alexithymia Questionnaire (1994) and Rachman and Shafran's Thought-Action Fusion Questionnaire (1998). Data were analyzed using SPSS-25 software and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Findings:The results showed that there is a significant difference between emotional intelligence (F=24.22 and P<0.01), Alexithymia (F=14.77 and P<0.01) and thought-action fusion (F=9.85 and P<0.01) exists in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and normal people. Conclusion:Therefore, it is recommended to pay special attention to the role of emotional intelligence, Alexithymia, and thought-action fusion in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Also, experts can use the research results for the prevention and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.