Journal of Research in Behavioral Sciences
Year:2011 | Volume:9 | Issue:2 (18)|Papers Count:10

Aim and Background: The therapeutic community (TC) is a residential treatment model, which is effective in the treatment of people with substance abuse disorder. The aim of the people study was to examine the effectiveness of TC on mental symptoms of persons with substance abuse disorder.Methods and Materials: In this experimental, pre-post test and follow-up study, referred patients with substance abuse disorder were studied in three phases. They were under TC treatment at least for 6 months. 474 subjects were selected by stratified sampling method from broujerd, Kerman, Ahvaz, and Bojnourd cities. The instruments used for data collection were a SCL90 questionnaire and morphin test. Data analyzed using aired samples T test.Findings: The intervention was effective on mental symptoms (symptoms of depression, paranoiad thought, morbid symptoms, obsession- compulsion, aggression, physical complaint, problem in social relationship, anxiety, phobia, psychosis) of studied population (P<0.05). Also, more than half (59/27) of the referred patients were clean after one year follow-up period.Conclusions: The results demonstrated the effectiveness of TC on the mental symptoms and treatment of patients with substance abuse disorder.

Aim and Background: Tobacco Dependency is recognized as the first factor for the prevention of mortality worldwide.Despite the negative impact of smoking on hypertension, therapists have been paid less attention to the effectiveness of psychological treatment of nicotine dependence of these patients.Methods and Materials: In this case- control pre-post test research with a quasi-experimental study design male patients aged 25-45 years with essential hypertension that consume one box nicotine in day, referred to Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center in 2009 were studied. They randomized in two experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The intervention was cognitive behavioral treatment All patients completed the Fagerstrom Nicotine Tolerance Questionnaire before start of interventions as pre test. The post test was completed after the end of the cognitive behavioral intervention which was consisted of eight 90 minutes sessions.Findings: Cognitive behavioral therapy was effective on reduction of Nicotine Tolerance in the patients with essential hypertension in post test (P<0.05).Conclusions: This research suggests that team work approach consist of psychologists and Cardiologists and cognitive behavioral therapy, can be useful in nicotine dependency in patients with essential hypertension.

Aim and Background: Child social phobia is a common anxiety disorder that there is different intervention psychology treatment for it. The main purpose of this research was to determine the effect of Cognitive-behavior group play therapy on social phobia in 5-11 years old children.Methods and Materials: In this research of quasi experimental, from among of the children who were referred to child psychiatric clinics and who diagnosed by psychiatrist as having social phobia, 30 children were selected as an accessible sample and randomly divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group received the group play therapy in 6 weekly sessions and the control group which did not receive any intervention. The parent form of sub-scales of social phobia of the Child Abnormal Symptoms Inventory (CSI-4) was administered to all subjects as the pre, post and follow up tests.Findings: The results showed that the difference between mean post test scores of social phobia in the experimental group means post test scores was significant, lower than the control group (P=0.01). The results of fallow up test was also significant (P<0.01), the mean scores of the experimental group was less than that of control group.Conclusions: This research show that social phobia in experimental group was than control group, this finding is similar to research in Iran and another country. Cognitive- behavior group play therapy is effective to reducing children social phobia.

Aim and Background: Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disease that has an important effect on patients’ quality of life and their function. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of compliance therapy on Quality of life and global function of schizophrenic patient.Methods and Materials: In this randomized controlled trial 76 remission patients with schizophrenia were recruited in Noor hospital between 2008_2009. The patients were randomly allocated into the compliance therapy intervention group and the controls with the equal sample size of 38 participants. First group was on compliance therapy every 15 days (8 sessions), then monthly and 2nd group was on usual treatment. Quality of life and global function of studied patients were assessed using a questionnaire at the beginning of study, 3 mounts, and 6 mounts after the intervention. ANOVA repeated measure was conducted to analyses the data.Findings: The means score of both global function and QOL were significantly higher in the intervention group in comparison with the controls. The mean score of quality of life was 101.2±17.2 and 44.8±15.6 in the intervention and control groups, respectively (P<0.001). The Mean score of global function in the intervention group and control groups was 72.4±11.4% and 44.3±13%, respectively, 6th months after intervention (P<0.001).Conclusions: Compliance therapy had proper effect on the quality of life and global function of schizophrenic patients and it seems that such interventions including mental training and longer follow-up is necessary for these patients.

Aim and Background: Childhood experiences could have profound effects on their adulthood behaviors.This research conducted with the aim of assessing the elementary students' experiences of the elderly hospice who visited these centers or had a family member over there.Methods and Materials: A qualitative study conducted using content analysis method in 2008-9. Eleven students, who had visited a home elderly hospice or had a family member over there, wrote their memories from such experiences. Four of these and five more students were also interviewed. The data were analyzed using Krippendorff method.Findings: Findings were classified into four categories including "the nature of elderly hospice", "the causes of transmission", "mode of transmission" and "visit consequences". Each category had 2-4 subcategories. Most of the students perceived the elderly hospice as distant and different from the normal living place. According to the participants, the elderly were transferred to the hospice for reasons such as "loneliness", "disease and disability", "maintenance problems" and "children's selfishness".Conclusions: Students had negative perceptions of elderly hospices. Based on their experiences, the elderly hospices isolate the elderly from social life. The authorities should pay more attention to the arrangement and quality of care within the elderly hospices.

Aim and Background: Meta-cognitive therapy is based on the principle that meta-cognitive is very important for understanding the way of cognition function and the way of producing our conscious experience about ourselves and the world around us. In This research it has been tried to study the effectiveness of this kind of treatment in improving depression patients.Methods and Materials: This clinical-experimental study was carried out on 3 patients referring to Tabriz University Consulting Centers in the framework of single case by using multiple-baselines in 8 sessions with follow-up at 1 and 3 months. Instruments were included BDI, MCQ, PBRS and NBRS.Findings: Treatment created considerable changes in depression symptoms and meta-cognitive beliefs of depressed patients and improved the symptoms of all three patients and the results of Treatment continued up to follow-up period.Conclusions: Result of this research showed, meta-cognitive therapy that focuses on controlling of cognitive process instead of cognitive content of cognitive processes can be effective in treatment of patient with major depression (Reduction in Rumination and Worry).

Aim and Background: This aim of this study was to determine the relationship between psychological health and emotional intelligence with job burnout of nurses of state hospitals in Tabriz.Methods and Materials: In this correlative descriptive study, 300 nurses of Tabriz state hospitals who had more than 5 years work experience were chosen by cluster random sampling method. They accomplished General Health Questionnaire, Bradbury-Graves Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire and Maslach Job Burnout Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS software and Pearson correlation and multiple regression statistical tests.Findings: Mental health and emotional intelligence had significant role in predicting job burnout changes of nurses, these variables predicted 12 % variance of job burnout. There was significant correlation between mental health and emotional intelligence (r=-0.196, P<0.01).Conclusions: Considering the results of our research, increased attention to nurses' burnout through emotional intelligence education and focus on their mental health is recommended.

Aim and Background: It is estimated that Coronary heart diseases (CHD) will be the major cause of mortality by the year 2020. The traditional factors such as age, genetics, smoking and obesity, account only half of the variance in CHD. Therefore, regarding increasing concern about the psychosocial factors, the purpose of present study was to evaluate the role of personality, stress and social support in predicting CHD.Methods and Materials: In this correlative study, patients with CHD referred to Shahid Rajaee cardiology hospital for cardiac angiography through winter 2008 to spring 2009 in Tehran, were selected by convenience sampling method.150 age, gender, marital status and education matched healthy individuals from families of patients were selected as control group. The inclusion criteria included absence of acute conditions such as the need for surgery, having had the willingness and ability to cooperate. Data collected using The NEO-FFI personality questionnaire, Pickle's stressful life events scale and Pierce's social relation quality scale. Obtained data analyzed by logistic regression method.Findings: Studied psychosocial variables predicted 51.9- 69.2 % of CHD variance. The classification accuracy (patient and healthy) which was performed by cardiologist based on psychosocial variables was 84.3%, with 82% and 86.7% predicting accuracy for illness and healthiness. Neuroticism, extroversion, stress and interpersonal conflicts had a positive correlation with illness and a negative correlation with healthiness, but conscientiousness and openness to experience had positive correlation with illness and negative correlation with healthiness.Conclusions: In general, it seems that psychosocial factors specially personality, stress and social support have an important role in predicting CHD.