درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Objective: This study aims to compare the effectiveness of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) enriched with compassion in altering dysfunctional communication beliefs among women seeking divorce. Methods: Statistical population of this study consisted of all women seeking divorce in District 4 of Tehran city in the year 2021, who were selected from counseling centers supervised by the Organization of Psychology and Welfare through convenience sampling. Next, Eidelson and Epstein’s (1982) Communication Beliefs Questionnaires were distributed for completion, and 45 individuals who scored high on these scales were selected as the sample and randomly placed into two experimental groups and one control group (each group consisting of 15 individuals). For data analysis, descriptive statistical methods (frequency indices, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (multivariate repeated measures analysis of variance) using SPSS-24 were employed. Findings: Results indicated no significant difference between the ISTDP and ACT enriched with compassion in altering dysfunctional communication beliefs. Both groups showed improvement compared to the control group, but no significant difference was noted between the two in terms of effectiveness. Conclusion: Both ISTDP and ACT enriched with compassion are effective in reducing dysfunctional communication beliefs among women seeking divorce, with no significant difference in effectiveness between the two. This suggests that both therapeutic approaches can be beneficial in this context. Future research should consider broader and more diverse samples, longer follow-up periods, and comparisons to active control groups to further understand the sustained impact and efficacy of these therapies.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)-based skill training on distress tolerance, emotional cognitive regulation, and marital quality of life in women with recurrent miscarriages. Methods: The population consisted of all women attending infertility clinics in Tehran during 2019-2020. A sample of 30 women was selected through convenience and purposive sampling based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 in each group). The instruments used in this study included: the Distress Tolerance Scale by Simons and Gaher (2005), Cognitive and Emotional Regulation Scale by Garnefski, Kraaij, and Spinhoven (2006), and Marital Quality of Life Scale by Fletcher, Simpson, and Thomas (2000). Repeated measures and a significance level of .05 were used for statistical analysis. Findings: The results showed significant differences in means between the two groups at pre-test, post-test, and follow-up stages, with significant improvements in distress tolerance, emotional cognitive regulation, and marital quality of life. The effect sizes of this treatment were 0.885, 0.910, and 0.983, respectively. Conclusion: Given the confirmed effectiveness of the treatment, it is recommended that these women receive psychological treatments in conjunction with medical treatments.

Objective: Mental health has remained an issue that affects various age groups with different levels of outcomes. One age group that needs urgent attention is the in-school adolescents. Studies have used various predictors to explore in-school adolescents’ mental health with varied results. Therefore, this study investigated parental verbal abuse, substance use and self-esteem as predictors of mental health among in-school adolescents in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted while purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used to select three local government areas and 200 in-school adolescents for the study. Data were collected using General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Hare Self-esteem Scale, Verbal Abuse Questionnaire and Substance Use Scale and analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Results: The results revealed that parental verbal abuse, substance use and self-esteem jointly predicted mental health among study participants [R2=.12, F (4,199) = 6.64, p <.05]. Also, parental verbal abuse (β = -.20, p < .05) and self-esteem (β = -.20, p < .05) independently predicted mental health among study participants. However, substance use (β = -.11, p >.05) did not independently predict mental health among study participants. Conclusion: The study concludes that parental verbal abuse, substance use and self-esteem are strong predictors of mental health among study participants. The paper recommended that in order to enhance the mental health of in-school adolescents, government and other stakeholders should advocate for the development and implementation of policies that prioritize mental health support and resources for adolescents within Lagos State and Nigeria.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on reducing depression and cognitive biases in married women. Methods and Materials: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 30 married women in Tehran who exhibited elevated depressive symptoms and cognitive biases. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) receiving eight weekly 75-minute ACT sessions or a control group (n = 15) receiving no psychological intervention. Depression and cognitive biases were assessed at pretest, posttest, and five-month follow-up using the Beck Depression Inventory-II and the Cognitive Bias Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc tests in SPSS-27. Findings: Repeated measures ANOVA indicated significant time × group interactions for depression (F(2, 54) = 45.22, p < .001, η² = .63) and cognitive biases (F(2, 54) = 39.52, p < .001, η² = .60). Bonferroni tests showed significant reductions in depression and cognitive bias scores from pretest to posttest (p < .001) and pretest to follow-up (p < .001) in the experimental group. No significant differences were found between posttest and follow-up scores (p > .05), indicating stability of treatment effects. Conclusion: Findings suggest that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is effective in reducing depressive symptoms and cognitive biases in married women and that these benefits persist over a five-month follow-up. ACT may offer a promising therapeutic option for addressing both emotional and cognitive vulnerabilities in this population by promoting psychological flexibility and values-based action.