Journal of Research in Behavioral Sciences
Year:2014 | Volume:12 | Issue:3|Papers Count:21

Aim and Background: Neuroticism is assumed to be a predisposing factor for depressive conditions. Yet, the mechanism of this vulnerability is not well known. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of alexithymia on the relationship between neuroticism and depressive symptoms in university students.Methods and Materials: The present study was descriptive-correlational. The target population was students of Tehran University studying in educational year 1391-1392. 72 females and 78 males were selected as the sample by availability method of sampling. They completed the Neuroticism subscale of NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Data were analyzed by using path analysis with SPSS 18 and LISREL 8.5.Findings: The results indicated that difficulty describing feelings (direct effect = 0.60, indirect effect = 0.14, P < 0.05) and difficulty identifying feelings (direct effect = 0.37, indirect effect = 0.32, P < 0.05) were the mediating factor in the relationship between neuroticism and depressive symptoms.Conclusions: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that neuroticism influences depressive symptoms through the influence of individual abilities in processing and regulating emotional information. These results may be useful in the development of educational and treatment programs for emotion management and overcoming depression.

Aim and Background: Irritable bowel syndrome is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder. Different psychological treatments have been used for these patients. The aim of this study was an investigation the effect of spiritual therapy on somatic symptoms in female patients with irritable bowel syndrome.Methods and Materials: Thus, in a semi experimental study with control group and pretest-posttest & follow up design, 24 female patients with irritable bowel syndrome, considering inclusion criteria, were divided randomly in experimental & control group (n2=n1=12). IBS Severity Scoring System and Bowel Symptoms Severity and Frequency Scale were used for the assessment of somatic symptoms. The experimental group received eight 90 minute weekly sessions of spiritual therapy.Findings: The results of multvariate covariance of analysis showed that spiritual therapy in posttest assessment reduced 40% of frequency of somatic symptoms. Also spiritual therapy is not effective meaningfully on severity of somatic symptoms on posttest and follow up assessment.Conclusions: The findings showed that spiritual therapy can be used as a therapeutic approach for reduction of frequency of somatic symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Aim and Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the biological status of patients with CAD on health related quality of life and the mediating role of illness representations based on hypothesized model.Methods and Materials: In this cross-sectional study, 270 patients with CAD (180 males and 90 females) from Heart Center Hospital were selected by available sampling method and asked to answer Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ) and Seattle angina Questionnaire (SAQ). Data for biological status of patients was obtained by echocardiography (to get LVEF) and classification of New York Heart Association (NYHA). Independent T test, c2, Pearson correlation coefficient and SEM method are used for data analyzing.Findings: The results of T and c2 tests showed that there is significant difference between male and female patients in some components of illness representations and HRQOL. The SEM results supported the hypothesized model about the effect of the biological status of patients with CAD on HRQOL and the mediating role of illness representations and showed that this model has appropriate fitnes.Conclusions: These results suggest that LVEF and biological status directly and indirectly by illness representations affect on HRQOL in CAD patients. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on interventions that increase LVEF and physiological status and interventions that modify illness representations for these patients.

Aim and Background: Efficacy of exposure therapy and mindfulness based therapy for obsessive- compulsive disorder has been established. The aim of this research was to study effectiveness of combination of mindfulness and exposure and response prevention for obsessive - compulsive disorder.Methods and Materials: In this research, single case plan study with base line and 3 months follow-up was used. Participant selected from clients of psychiatry 505 hospital and received 8 sessions of MET. Method of graphic analysis and calculate percentage improvement were used in this study for analysis of results.Findings: Results showed that the patient acquired clinical significant change on outcomes measures. The treatment gains were maintained at 3 month follow-up.Conclusions: Combination of mindfulness and exposure with response prevention can led to improvement of obsessive – compulsive symptoms.

Aim and Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of role playing along with applied behavioral analysis (ABA) on social behavior of children with the syndrome of autism.Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental research design was including the pretest - posttest with control group. Among all children of Esfahan Autism Center, 32 participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The first group played at the same time each day, 30 minutes, 30 hours per week of ABA method received. Groups II and III only receive ABA Training in Center and home. The fourth group received no intervention. Data were collected through questionnaires of social behavior and was analyzed through SPSS-19.Findings: The results of the covariance analysis prove that there is a significant difference between role play group accompanying with ABA and other experimental and control groups.Conclusions: It is Seems that role play intervention alongside the teaching methods of ABA can increase social behaviors of children with autism disorder and can be used the role play Besides of ABA in rehabilitation centers for children with autism.

Aim and Background: The present study was aimed to investigate the effectiveness of group counseling based on the reality therapy on increasing of self esteem in mothers of children with cerebral palsy.Methods and Materials: This research was an experimental research with pre and posttest and control group. The sample included 30 mothers that have children with cerebral palsy problem and we assigned them in experimental and control groups randomly. For gathering data we used the cooper smith self esteem questionnaire (1967) in two stages of pre and post test. Moreover, in order to analyzing data we used covariance analysis.Findings: The findings, based on the analysis of covariance, revealed that there are significant differences between mothers of children with cerebral palsy in self esteem degree in post test and pretest.Conclusions: The final conclusion is that the groups counseling on the base of realty therapy increased self esteem in mothers of children with cerebral palsy.

Aim and Background: Health, including mental health nurses, considering effective nurses role in health system as providers of care in improvement of patients´ quality of care, have a crucial importance. Further studies on the relationship between demographic variables and mental health are still conflicting results. Hence, the present study was carried out to predictors of nurse's mental health in medical and surgical wards based on demographic variables.Methods and Materials: This was a descriptive correlation study that was implemented in 380 nurses in hospitals affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences were randomly chosen. Data gathering tool included demographic information and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The data was analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistics (Student t-Test, one way ANOVA and Multiple linear regressions), with applying SPSS 20 software.Findings: In terms of nurses´ general health, 69.73% (n=265) had scores greater than 23 suspected to have physical or psychological disorders. Based on the findings of this study, there was not a significant correlation between mental health of nurses with age, marital status, sex and nurses' number children. While there was a significant relationship between sleep quality, overtime worked and work history with nurses’ mental health. The results of regression analysis indicated that the sleep quality, overtime worked and work history explained totally 40.9% of the variance of nurses' mental health. (R2=40.9).Conclusions: According to the research, more than half of the nurses in the study were suspected mental health problems, and nearly two-thirds of the mental health nurses were somewhat desirable or undesirable. It is suggested that managers of health services operate the measures to improve workplace conditions and mental health nurses. Based on the present study results, level of mental health is predicable according to some demographic variables in regression model.

Aim and Background: The aim of the current research was to investigate and compare the efficiency of educational- psychological interventions namely parent based, child based and combination on reduction of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity signs.Methods and Materials: Statistical population was second grade primary school students in Isfahan city during 2012-2013. The sample consist of 60 primary school students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder that was selected randomly by multistage cluster sampling method and assigned randomly to experimental and control group. There exist four (15 person) groups in this study, which consist of three experimental group namely parent based, child based and combination of them, the last group was used for control. Instruments were parent Conner's questionnaire and Clinical Interview.Findings: Obtained data was analyzed via analysis of Covariance with repeated measure and indicate that there are significant differences between groups in educational- psychological interventions (p£0.001). Post-hoc scheffe test show that Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder signs was redacted significantly in three experimental groups (parent based, child based and combination) relative to control group.Conclusions: The result of this research emphasis on the use of psychological combination intervention on reduse of symptoms of ADHD.

Aim and Background: Some university students are prone to acute stress, because of different developmental transmissions. Stress can disturbs learning processes were considered necessary for academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of stress induction on working memory (auditory & visual phases) of emotional stimuli (positive & negative) among high & low students.Methods and Materials: This research was based on quis-experimental design through a posttest with control group model (within group) during 1390-91 academic years.62 students were selected from Shahid Beheshti University. The research tools were Social Cold Presser Test- for inducing stress -and an n-back task to evaluate the working memory performance, & a rating scale (100 points). The data was analyzed using the tow sample dependent t-test & repeated measure ANOVA test.Findings: Result showed that, the visual & auditory working memory performance was better among high achiever group. M: 4.61, M: 4.17 for accuracy score & M: 4.64, M: 4.62 for reaction time score.Conclusions: It seems that auditory working memory functions were better than visual ones, and stress impaired memory retrieval in particular for negative materials.

Aim and Background: Despite the acceptance of gender differences in prevalence and symptomology of eating disorders, there are few studies that have compared the factor structure of eating disorders between male/female groups. The purpose of this study was to determine the factor structure of disordered eating attitudes in a sample of male and female college students.Methods and Materials: The current study was conducted in correlational context. A group of 1008 normal participants, using stratified random sampling method, took part in this research. Participants answered to the Eating Attitude Test (EAT). Data were analyzed using explanatory factor analysis of variance and independent samples t- test methods.Findings: The three Dieting, Bulimia and Food Preoccupation, & Oral control factors of disordered eating attitudes explained same percent of variance among both male and female groups (35.95 & 34.63 respectively). There is more internal constancy between all factors among women. Women have higher mean scores on the eating attitudes test ((t= 2.02 p<0.001)).Conclusions: With regard to the results, this study suggests a similar factor structure of disordered eating attitudes for males and females.

Aim and Background: Socio-economic status, especially job has an important role on women health. This study was down to occupation effect on behavioral approach of female in relation to cardiovascular disease.Methods and Materials: This study was conducted on the data of Interventional area of Isfahan Healthy Heart Program (IHHP): Isfahan and Najaf-Abad counties. Sampling was down by stratified random sampling method. nutrition knowledge was determined by questionnaire and a 48 item food frequency questioner was used to assess nutrition behavior. Statistical analysis was done by chi-square tests, ANOVA and ANCOVA.Findings: Positive trend of nutritional attitude was significantly higher in unemployed in compare to employed women (p=0.007).Employed vs. unemployed women had a significant improvement in fruit consumption (P=0.01).It was adversely about vegetables consumption (p=0.001).Global dietary index (GDI) had a significant improvement in unemployed women in compare to employed women (p=0.01).Conclusions: Regarding to the effective role of women on nutritional status of family and considering employed women problems, such as their limited time for prepareing food and availability of health foods and healthy nutrition training in work places can play effective role on family health.

Aim and Background: The aim of the present study was to investigating the psychometric properties of brief measure of worry severity in students.Methods and Materials: This descriptive-survey research involved 4 groups, the first group consisted 350 students (165 males and 185 females) that were selected randomly among Hamadan Islamic Azad University, Other three group comprised, patients with anxiety disorder (n=43), mood disorder (n=39) and patients with other disorders of the DSM-IV I axis (n=55) that were selected via accessible sampling method and answered to BMWS, metacognition questionnaire (MCQ), Penn State worry questionnaire (PSWQ) and general anxiety disorder scales (GADS). Data were analyzed by exploratory and Confirmatory factor analysis using SPSS.16 and AMOS.Findings: Cronbach's Alpha and test- retest Coefficients were 0.92 and 0.82 respectively. The result of independent t test showed that BMWS mean scores of students significantly were lower than other three groups, also the scores of patients with anxiety disorder was higher than other two group significantly(p<0.001). The results of exploratory factor analysis showed that the 8 item BMWS is saturated with 1 factor that explain 67.03 of the scale’s variance. First order confirmatory factor analysis indicated that 1 mentioned factor was well fitted with the data (AGFI=0.95, RMSEA= 0.03, GFI=0.96).Conclusions: The BMWS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessment of the worry.

Aim and Background: Death anxiety, death depression, and death obsession are dimensions of pathological attitudes toward death. The scales of death anxiety & death obsession has been validate in Iran. The aim of this study was to investigate validating of death depression scale.Methods and Materials: The current study was conducted in survey and cross sectional context. A group of 894 normal participants, using Stratified random sampling method, took part in this research. Participants answered to the Death Depression Scale (Templer et al, 1990) and The Death Anxiety Scale (Templer, 1970). Data were analyzed using explanatory factor analysis of variance and Pierson correlation methods.Findings: Principal Component Analysis with promax rotation showed multidimensional structure of scale and extracted four factors (49.71percent of total variance) which were labeled death despair, death finality, death loneliness & death acceptance. Concurrent validity reported parallel using of The Death Anxiety Scale, showing good coefficient. However three types of reliabilities, test retest (r= 0.78 p<0.001), split half (r= 0.77 p<0.001) & internal constancy (r= 0.76 p<0.001) were reported.Conclusions: Based on these results, it was concluded that the Death Depression Scale has good validity and reliability in Iranian population and it can be used, as valid measure, in empirical studies surrounding death distress.

Aim and Background: The purpose of this present study is to create and investigate factor structure, validity and reliability of a scale that can assess the metacognitions related to social phobia. Specifying these metacognitive beliefs can be useful in treating this disorder.Methods and Materials: At first a scale including 147 items which its response was in Likert scale collected by cooperation of five psychological experts And finally after ignoring of repeated questions, 35 items of this scale was selected by 3 experts in clinical psychology. In order to administer factor analysis, the scale was administrated on the 300 students of Shiraz University. After collecting data and administering factor analysis, 3 factors were extracted by exploration method. Five items that had not sufficient factor weight were eliminated. And other items were sent again to do factor analysis. To appoint validity of questionnaire they used two ways of factor analysis and concurrent validity. Also to appoint reliability, they also used two ways; the coefficient of internal consistency and test-retest reliability.Findings: After final factor analysis, a scale with 30 items including 3 factors obtained. Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha for the total scale was 0.93, and for sub scales was between 0.70 and 0.92. Test-retest Coefficient after 2 weeks was 0.84 which means a good reliability for this scale.Conclusions: According to obtained results, Social Phobia Metacognition Questionnaire (SP-MCQ), synchronously is the same containing with metacognitive questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30) and also social phobia scales. It seems to be reliable that can used as metacognitive assess which related to social phobia disorders. And also the results indicated that SP-MCQ has satisfactory reliability and validity.

Aim and Background: Cognitive models in establishing psychological problems refers to the effect of early maladaptive schemas in formation of psychology pathologies. The purpose of this study was the comparison of early maladaptive schema and procrastination in medical and nonmedical students of Shahid Beheshti University of medical sciences.Methods and Materials: The method is descriptive and comparative. There for two questionnaire of procrastination(GP) and early maladaptive schema of Yang (YSQ-SF) was filled by 462 students from 2 groups of medical (232) and nonmedical (230) students of Shahid Beheshti University of medical sciences tehran in year school 2012 which was recruited accessibility. Analysis was performed by SPSS.Findings: This study indicates that the students in both groups obtained the lowest scores in Incompetence (DI)/ Dependence schema and the highest score in unrelenting standards / hyper criticalness schema.There was a significant difference between medical and nonmedical groups in Entitlement /Grandiosity schema. Also There was no significant difference between groups in procrastination.Conclusions: According to the data it can be concluded that medical students had less dysfunctional schemas compared to non-medical students. Girls compared to boys in both groups had less dysfunctional schemas. procrastination was high in both groups. also procrastination was higher in medical students compared to non-medical students. Boys had more procrastination in both groups compared to girls.

Aim and Background: Addiction is a major problem in health and social disaster and various aspects of economic, political, cultural, psychological, moral rights is. The purpose of this study was to investigate the study effect of group therapy based on approach of integration (IT) on reduce psychological signs drug offenders.Methods and Materials: The present research is a clinical trial. 30 patients were selected and randomly divided into two groups of control (n = 15) and experimental (n= 15). Then, treatment of group therapy based on approach of integration was performed for experimental groups. After completing 12 treatment sessions (two and half months, one session of two hours per week) for experimental groups, test of Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90-R) was again performed as after-test to evaluate dependent variable for both groups.Findings: The results showed that the IT group therapy significantly and was effective in reducing interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, phobia, and violence (p<0.05), but group therapy on Paranoia, psychosis and OCD did not have significant effect.Conclusions: Group therapy based on approach of integration (IT) can be oriented in some of the indicators relating to the mental health of drug addicts is useful and as a means of healthcare affordable and effective in drug abuse treatment.