Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology
Year:2007 | Volume:13 | Issue:3 (50)|Papers Count:13

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine a predictive model for suicide attempts based on risk factors in Karaj, Iran general population. The intention was to collect necessary information for planning preventive, educational, and therapeutic interventions.Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 2300 randomly selected sample from 1.3 million Karaj residences. Information on the subjects were collected by using a modified SUPRE-MISS questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions about demographic characteristics, personal and family history, suicidal behavior, attempted suicide methods, history of taking psychoactive drugs, history of psychiatric treatments, chronic physical and mental disorders, and community stress. Data were collected by interviewing the subjects and analyzed using analysis of variance and logistic regression.Results: Out of total sample, 65% were females, 57.2% were married, 48% had high school education, and 43.8% were householders. The mean age of those with attempted suicide was 26 (±9) years. The mean age of those with no attempted suicide was 32 (±13) years. The difference was statistically significant (p<0.01). This study showed that age (adolescence), sex (female), history of mental disorder, the lifetime use of tobacco and/or alcohol as well as unemployment can independently predict suicide attempts.Conclusion: Planning to reduce suicide attempts in researches on high risk population as in teenagers, women, psychiatric patients, smokers and alcohol abusers is necessary.

Objectives: This project aimed to determine the frequency of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in patients with substance dependence. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 patients with substance dependence who were referred to clinics of Iran Psychiatry Hospital between 2003-2004 and selected by available sampling. Child Symptom Inventory (CSI) for ADHD, adult ADHD, and demographic questionnaire were completed for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods and x2 test. Results: Mean age of the clients was 31.8 (SD=9.4) with a range of 18-55 years, all of whom were men. Childhood ADHD was noted in 27% (3% attention deficit type, 16% hyperactive type, and 8% combined type) and adult ADHD was noted in 16% (7% attention deficit type, 3% hyperactive type and 6% combined type) of the subjects. Half (50%) of the clients had neither childhood nor adult ADHD diagnosis. The mean age of starting substance use was 18.3 years (SD=3.2) in patients with ADHD and 21.5 years (SD=5.1) in clients not affected by ADHD which were significantly different from one another (p<0.01).Conclusion: ADHD is correlated with substance dependency and early onset of substance use.

Objectives: One of the group interventions in mental rehabilitation is recreational therapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of recreational therapy on the mental status of patients with schizophrenia. Method: In this pre-test post-test interventional study, 45 clients with chronic schizophrenia hospitalized in the Razi Psychiatric Center in Tehran (Iran) were selected through a goal-directed sampling method. They were then assessed with Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) before being sent on a 10-day recreational trip to Meshed (Iran). All participants were reassessed afterwards with the aforementioned scale. T-test was used for data analysis.Results: Mean total BPRS scores decreased from 42.5 at pre-test to 29.8 post-t test. T-test revealed the difference in mental state of patients with schizophrenia pre-test compared to post-test to be significant (p<0.001).Conclusion: Recreational therapy as a non-physical intervention for rehabilitation can promote mental status of patients with chronic schizophrenia.

Objectives: In this study was the relationship of alexithymia with the emotional expression styles (emotional expressiveness, emotional control, and ambivalence over emotional expressiveness) and general health investigated among university students. The effect of gender on alexithymia is also studied. Method: A total of 210 university students (105 female, 105 male) from Guilan University were selected using a multi-stage randomized sampling method and were assessed by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale Emotional Expressiveness Questionnaire, Emotional Control Questionnaire, Ambivalence over Emotional Expressiveness Questionnaire, and General Health Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and regression analysis. Results: Alexithymia was significantly correlated with all emotional control subscales: significantly positive correlation with the emotional inhibition and rumination subscales (p<0.01), and significantly negative correlation with the aggression control and benign control subscales (p<0.01). Alexithymia had also a significantly direct correlation with the style of ambivalence over emotional expressiveness (p<0.01). The results revealed a significant correlation between alexithymia and the total score of General Health Questionnaire. There was no significant difference between the female and male students with regards to the level of alexithymia.Conclusion: Alexithymia is a stronger indicator for the general health variance than the style of ambivalence over emotional expressiveness. More alexithymic states are associated with decreased general health.

Objectives: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive, predominant and ongoing worry and tension. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between anxious thoughts and met cognitive beliefs among patients with GAD. Method: For this study, 60 high school students (30 males and 30 females) were selected using cluster-random sampling. All of the subjects had generalized anxiety disorder according to DSM-IV criteria. Subjects participated in the study by answering the Anxious Thought Inventory (ANTI) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistic methods and analysis of variance.Results: The study showed that there are significant relationships between anxious thoughts (health, social, and meta worries) in girls and boys, and metacognitive beliefs about worry uncontrollability (p<0.05). The girls have considerably more positive metacognitive beliefs about worry compared to boys (p<0.001). The same is true in case of negative metacognitive beliefs (p<0.01).There are significant correlations between meta-worry and metacognitive beliefs about worry uncontrollability in girls and boys (p<0.05). Similar correlation, exists between meta-worry and metacognitive beliefs about worry avoidance in both groups (p<0.05).Conclusion: Positive and negative metacognitive beliefs can cause worry continuation. Gender differences in frequency of the metacognitive beliefs about worry are an explanation for higher rate of GAD among girls.

Objectives: The aim of this research was to study and compare cognitive biases towards the negative social and non-social events in adolescents with high and low social anxiety.Method: In a descriptive cross-sectional study 125 boys and girls in first and second year of counseling and guidance school.41 adolescents (18 boys, 23 girls) with high social anxiety and 84 adolescents (44 boys, 40 girls) with low social anxiety were assessed by the Social Anxiety Scale for Children, Children Depression Inventory and the . Probability/Cost Questionnaire for Children (PCQ-c). Data were I analyzed thought test, multivariate Covariance analysis and correlation analysis.Results: Adolescents with high social anxiety overestimated the cost and probability of negative social events compared to adolescents with low social anxiety, even after controlling for depression syndrome (p<0.001). No statistically significant differences were noted between the two groups in the probability scores of the non-social events. The effect of gender and its interaction in the groups over the probability and cost of the negative non-social events also was not statistically significant.Conclusion: Adolescents with high social anxiety show more bias in the interpretation of negative social events than their peers with low social anxiety.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate relational aggression in the preschool children in Shiraz as it causes harmful events for both the aggressive child and the other children.Method: In a descriptive cross-sectional survey, 258 children (119 boys, 139 girls) aged 3 to 7 years completed a 10-itemed questionnaire in the field of relational aggression for preschool children-teachers form and Relational Aggression and Popularity-Peers Form. Subjects were selected from the four kindergartens referred by Shiraz Welfare Organization. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance, correlation coefficient and t-test.Results: Most of the preschool children as early as 3 years of age use relational aggression in their relationship with peers which results in the elimination of some of the kids from the group or makes some dump others. Gender difference was not significant in this regard. Relational aggression among peers also did not differ significantly in all age groups. Relational aggression as believed by peer nomination and teacher rating was significantly correlated with children's popularity (p<0.001). There was a positive and significant correlation between the relational aggression and oppositional defiant disorder (p<0.001).Conclusion: There are no significant differences in relational aggression between the preschool Iranian boys and girls. Children who use relational aggression is popular among peers.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify and determine coping styles, locus of control, and irrational beliefs in prostitutes in comparison with normal women.Method: In this cross-sectional study, 60 subjects (30 prostitutes and 30 normal women) participated by filling out Rotter's Locus of Control Scale, Moos and Biling's Coping Style Questionnaire, and Johnn's Irrational Beliefs Questionnaire. Prostitutes were selected based on convenient sampling and normal women were selected from vocational school students. Both groups were matched by age and educational level. Collected data were analyzed using t-test and X2 test.Results: The results showed no significant correlation between locus of control and delinquency. Coping styles focused on problem solving and rational beliefs were similar in both groups. However, prostitutes relied on emotional coping style in stressful situations more frequently than non-delinquent women did (p<0.05).Conclusion: Prostitutes rely on emotional manipulations and emotional coping style more than non-delinquent women when encountering life difficulties. They feel more helplessness and show higher levels of worry with anxiety in response to changes.

Objectives: The goal of the study was to examine five main personality factors in both genders and the role of personality traits in the Subjective Well-being Scales.Method: A total of 425 students (167 male and 258 female) completed the Five Factors Inventory (BFI) and Subjective Well-being Scales. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to examine gender differences on the five big personality factors (i.e. extraversion, conscientiousness, openness to experience, neuroticism, and agreeableness). Multiple hierarchical regression analyses were also conducted to examine the relation between gender and Subjective Well-being Scales, and to test whether this association was moderated by neuroticism and extraversion.Results: Girls scored significantly higher than boys in factors for neuroticism and agreeableness (p<0.001 for both); boys scored significantly higher than girls in factors for extraversion (p<0.001), conscientiousness (p<0.01), and openness to experience (p<0.05). The MANOVA yielded significant main effect of gender. Results of hierarchical regression analyses, too, showed that after controlling for the personality factors, there was no significant correlation between the variable gender and any of the three levels of subjective wellbeing.In other words, findings suggest that gender differences in personality factors of neuroticism and extraversion play an influential role in predicting their subjective well-being state.Conclusion: Personality traits act as moderators in the relation between the students' gender and their subjective well-being. Authorities in general health must also recognize the role of personality traits in examining the relationship between gender differences and subjective well-being state of individuals. 

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of resilience on mental health and life satisfaction.Method: In a cross-sectional study, 287 Shiraz University students (173 females and 114 males) with mean age of 23.17 years (SD 4.9) were assessed. Subjects filled out the Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), short form of Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (DASS), and Satisfaction with Life Scale. Data were analyzed using structural equations modeling.Results: Simultaneous hierarchical regression revealed that negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, and stress have significant mediating roles on family resilience (p<0.001) and life satisfaction (p<0.001).Conclusion: Resilience will lead to life satisfaction by means of reduced levels of negative emotions. Resilience has, in fact, an indirect effect on life satisfaction.