JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Year:2012 | Volume:3 | Issue:4 (12)|Papers Count:14

Introduction: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is one of the gastrointestinal diseases that are common, disabling, and costly. Few data are available on the role of psychotherapy in the treatment of dyspeptic syndromes. The purpose of this study was to assess whether brief core conflictual relationship theme (CCRT) psychoanalytic psychotherapy improves gastrointestinal and conflict management strategies in patients with dyspepsia.Method: A clinical randomized, controlled trial was planned in two therapeutic educational hospitals in Babol city. Thirty female patients with available sampling with FD randomly assigned to standard medical treatment with CCRT psychotherapy (15 subjects) or standard medical treatment alone (15 subjects). Gastrointestinal and conflict management strategies were assessed with Patient Assessment of Upper Gastrointestinal Disorder-Symptom Severity Index and Rahim Organization Conflict Inventory, before the trial, after treatment, and at 3-month follow-up. Independent T test and ANCOVA were used to analysis of the data.Results: The comparisons of the mean changes in the scores between the two groups showed that CCRT psychotherapy improved all of the FD symptoms, including heartburn, nausea, fullness, bloating, upper abdominal pain, and lower abdominal pain, after treatment and at follow-up. Also, the CCRT treatment significantly improved conflict constructive management strategies of integrating, obligating, and accommodating, and decreased conflict destructive management strategies of dominating and avoiding, after treatment and at follow-up.Conclusion: Brief CCRT psychoanalytic psychotherapy is a reliable method for improving gastrointestinal symptoms and conflict management strategies in patients with functional dyspepsia.

Introduction: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder has been accompanied with so many problems and numerous therapy methods have been introduced to cure children with this disorder. The present study investigate the impact of child-centered play therapy on reduction of behavioral symptoms of children with ADHD.Method: 25 children with ADHD aged 7-12 years were selected through access sampling method and examined through semi-experimental time-series design with no control group. After administering two pre-test, the program of child-centered play therapy was conducted in 24 sessions (twice a week-each session 40 minute). Afterwards the post-test were administered in 4 turns. For pre and post-tests, the CSI-4 (parent form) and for data analysis, the repeated measure ANOVA method were used.Results: The findings suggested that the grades of all four post-tests were significantly less than those of the pre-tests. The highest reduction rate was observed in the first post-test after 4 weeks (8 sessions) play therapy. In general, the results revealed that behavioral symptoms of ADHD reduced significantly with soft slope between session three and session twenty four.Conclusion: The child-centered play therapy could be applied alongside other therapy methods as an effective method for the reduction of behavioral symptoms of ADHD in children.

Introduction: The purpose of the present research was to study the effect of writing disclosure on severity of symptoms of OCD and depression of obsessive-compulsive disorder of individuals suffering from.Method: On this way, 30 subjects with OCD by means of simple random sampling method, were selected and placed in two experimental and control group of fifteen (15) people. All the subjects filled up the short form of MMPI questionnaire in two stages, pre-test and post-test. The open-ended writing of the writing disclosure method, were instructed to the experimental group members, but the control group did not receive such this training.Results: Data analysis with ANCOVA method, in significant rate of P>0.001 has shown that the writing disclosure has positive effect in reducing the severity of symptoms of OCD and depression of individual with obsessive-compulsive disorder.Conclusion: By paying attention to the results of the present research, the writing disclosure method can be known as a low-cost, efficient, and effective method with extensive and easy usage, in improving both OCD and depression and would be suggested to psychotherapists to use this method for people with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Introduction: Executive functions involve higher-order cognitive functioning that is critical for goal directed behavior. The aim of this research was to compare executive functions in students with and without spelling learning disability: performance in NEPSY neuropsychology test.Method: 45 elementary students with spelling learning disability and 45 elementary normal students (both groups in third grade) were selected through multistage random sampling. The instruments were NEPSY test, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children & checklist for identifying students with spelling learning disability. Data were analyzed by t-test.Results: The results showed that there is a significant difference between performance of the students with and without spelling learning disability in executive functions (performance in NEPSY tower).Conclusion: Students with spelling learning disability had lower performance in executive functions (performance in NEPSY tower) compared to normal students. Difficulties in executive functions should be assessed by using standardized instruments in order to plan execute appropriate interventions with regards to executive functions.

Introduction: Multidimensional and complex nature of children's behavioral problems requires assessment and usage of modern treatments. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of attachment-based therapy on oppositional deficit symptoms in girl students of primary school who had attachment problems.Method: The method of this research was experimental. The target samples were 32 individuals of 388 second and fourth grade students of primary school that had highest scores on attachment problems and oppositional deficit symptoms. Evaluation implemented using Randolph attachment disorder questionnaire (RADQ) and Ontario mental health test. Mothers were presented in 10 group sessions of attachment-based intervention and its effect investigated in their girl's rate of oppositional defiant symptoms.Results: Since obtaining a higher score in oppositional defiant disorder represents severity of the symptoms, it can be seen that the mean post-test and follow up scores of oppositional defiant in the experimental group is significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). Reported reduction rate of oppositional deficit symptoms was 0.27 in post-test and 0.33 in 1 month follow up.Conclusion: The intervention offered for mothers of the girls with attachment problems was effective to reduction of oppositional deficit symptoms in their children and the mother's continues attention to interventional methods caused more improvement in follow up evaluation.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of separation anxiety in children and evaluating the effectiveness of play-therapy, based on a cognitive behavioral approach on reducing separation anxiety.Method: 358 children were selected in the first part of the study by multistage random sampling through day care centers of Mashhad City Hall-region 2. In the second part, 30 participants of children diagnosed as having separation anxiety and their parents confirmed their consent were put into test and control groups by random assignment. The assessment tool was CSI4 separation anxiety questionnaire. For the test group, 10 play-therapy sessions were carried out based on a cognitive behavioral approach.Results: In the first part of the study, 13.97 percent of 358 children were diagnosed as having separation anxiety. In the second part, the results showed that there exists a meaningful difference between post-test scores of children who received the therapeutic program and those of control group and separation anxiety of test group has decreased significantly.Conclusion: The study shows that the prevalence of separation anxiety among children is considerably high and its treatment is important because of further associated problems such as school refusal. Also After the treatment, a significant decrease in separation anxiety occurred and is maintained in the follow-up and this therapeutic program is recommended with respect to its fascinating material.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to comparing the metacognitive beliefs and ambiguity tolerance among the addicted, smokers and normal individuals.Method: The method of this study was ex-post facto. Subjects of the research included 120 (40 addicted, 40 smokers and 40 normal). The addicted group consists of those that had consulted whit Hamadan's addicted self-representing center during spring 2009. The other two groups (smoking and normal) were selected from among the people in the city based on accessible sampling method. The instruments were Wells and Cartwright-Hatton metacognition scale and Ridell and Rosen revised scale for ambiguity tolerance. Data was analyzed using the ANOVA method.Results: The results of the study showed that there was a significant difference between addicted group and two other groups in metacognitive beliefs total score. Also the tolerance of ambiguity in addicted group is lower than two other groups.Conclusion: Based on the result of this study and those of other studies we could claim that more impaired metacognitive beliefs and low ambiguity tolerance as 2 important psychological factors function in predicting people's inclinations toward drugs abuse.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of "Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP)" Model in relapse prevention and motivation in subjects with opiate substance dependency.Method: In a semi-experimental study, 24 subjects with diagnosis of opiate dependency who successfully detoxified were divided into two experimental group (12 subjects) and control group (12 subjects) selected by cluster random sampling method. The experimental group received 8 sessions of MBRP model training and the control group did not receive any treatment. All subjects were assessed by Stages of Change Scale (SOCS) and morphine test before treatment, randomly during treatment, after treatment, and after a 3-month follow up stage. Data were analyzed using 2 test, Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) and covariance analysis (ANCOVA).Results: 2 test results showed that experimental and control groups had a significant difference in relapse rates. In addition, Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) and covariance analysis (ANCOVA) showed a significant difference between two groups in motivation at periods of post-test and follow up.Conclusion: Study results indicated that "Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP)" is effective in relapse prevention and motivation in people with opiate substance dependency.