Journal of Family Research
Year:2006 | Volume:2 | Issue:5|Papers Count:7

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of Systemic- Behavioral Couple Therapy (SBCT) on family functioning and self- esteem in women with dysthymia disorder.An experimental design with repeated measures was applied in this study. The sample was selected from 78 married depressed women, referred to some of the psychiatric and consulting centers in Tehran; from them 39 couples met the criteria, 20 couples were randomly selected, and assigned to couple therapy or medication groups. The women in couple therapy group participated in a 1a-weekly sessions of systemic-behavioral couple therapy together with their husbands. The women of pharmaco therapy group were put on antidepressant drugs prescribed by psychiatrist. Assessment instruments were Family Assessment Device (FAD) and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. Participants in both groups were tested before treatment, just before the sixth session, after tenth session, and two months after termination. ANOVA with repeated measures was used to analyze the data. The findings showed that the systemic-behavioral couple therapy was significantly effective in improving family functioning, and increased self- esteem in women with dysthymia disorder.The results suggest that SBCT, in addition to increased marital satisfaction, is a useful intervention for improvement of family functioning and self- esteem in depressed women. Theoretical and clinical implications will be discussed.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cognitive-behavioral counseling based on Interacting Cognitive Subsystems (ICS) approach on changing attitude towards infertility of infertile couples. This research is semi experimental and pretest-posttest with control group. The sample includes 30 infertile couples that were selected from infertile couples who referred to the Fertility and Infertility Center in Isfahan province. They were grouped randomly into experimental and control group. Both groups were assessed at two stages, pre test and posttest, using Attitude towards infertility Inventory. The experimental group received six sessions of counseling based on ICS approach. This study showed that counseling based on ICS approach changed the infertile couples' attitude towards infertility positively and its effect was regardless of gender. According to the findings, cognitive behavioral counseling based on ICS approach was found effective on changing the infertile couples' attitude towards infertility and should consider it to be offered together with biological therapies for infertility.

The current research examines the developmental relationship between identity status and degree of secure attachment to the attachment figures (father, mother & peers) in male adolescents aged 14, 16 & 18. A sample of 312 male students from grade 3 of middle school, grade 1 of high school & pre-university were randomly selected from students of Kamyaran in Kurdestan. The instruments employed in this research were Inventory of Parents and Peer Attachment (IPPA) and Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status 2 (EOM- EIS2) questionnaires.To examine the hypotheses, a "Two- Way Analysis of Variance" was applied. The findings indicate that the interaction between age and the identity status is correlated with the degree of secure attachment to the attachment figures. The most and the least secure attachment to the attachment figures in this research respectively belongs to the foreclosure and diffusion status. The results show that secure attachment to the parents in the foreclosure state decreases very much at the age of 18; however in other forms of status it approximately remains unchanged. Secure attachment to the peers in desirable (moratorium and achievement) and foreclosure status appears at the age of 18, which suggest the importance of the peers' influence on them.

The following research intends to investigate the role of religiosity in marital adjustment. Religious beliefs and practices have been suggested to have direct impact on family relationships, and empowering of religious values might be a main goal for improvement of marital life.Method: In this research, 1320 subjects (660 couples) from Tehran, were selected through a multistage cluster sampling. In this method, information regarding religiosity and marital adjustment was collected using a questionnaire prepared by researchers, and Enrich'sl marital satisfaction scale.The results showed that couples with higher religious beliefs may have higher rate of marital adjustment, based on a significant correlation of 0.29 between religiosity and marital adjustment. Regarding the relation between religiosity and the nine subscales of marital adjustment, communication, parenting and religious orientation accounted for the highest rate (0.26) of variance and sexual relationship accounted for the lowest rate (0.17) of variance.It might be concluded that an increase of religiosity may result in an improved marital adjustment.

To evaluate and assess families, two problems arise first different conceptualizations, and second, different assessment devices. It means these is yet to reach to a generally agreed assessment tool (keitner, et al; 1996). Hence standardization and validation of such devices would be substantial for the field. Aim: standardization of Family Assessment Device (FAD), using reliability coefficient with internal consistency, Z values, and percentile rank indices. FAD includes 60 items on family functioning, with six subscales including problem solving, communication, roles, affective involvement, and affective responsibility.Subjects are mothers (N=494) of primary school children in Tehran who were selected through stratified random sampling. Test retest reliability was evaluated in a 2 - weeks intervals.The reliability was calculated using kronbach Alpha in each subsca1e.The results revealed a high Alpha value in all dimensions. Also Z values of each dimension are demonstrated.