Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology
Year:2003 | Volume:9 | Issue:1 (33)|Papers Count:13

Objectives: In the present project, the impact of influencing psychological factors in sexual functional disorders was assessed. Method: This was a descriptive–retrospective study. 66 married patients diagnosed with sexual functional disorders were selected through available sampling from Tehran Psychiatric Institute, specialized clinic of sex therapy, and psychiatric private offices. The instruments used included psychiatrists’ final diagnosis, clinical interview, demographic questionnaire, and a questionnaire made by the researchers measuring psychological factors influencing sexual functional disorders. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics. Findings: This evaluation showed that the most common psychological factors in sexual functional disorders were lack of enough training on sexual activities and insufficient sexual information, insufficient foreplay, incompatibility in relationship in general, unreason-able sexual beliefs, weak connection regarding needs or anxieties of each of the partners, presence of sexual disorder in sexual partner, anxiety about sexual performance and fear of lack of success in the sexual relationship, disturbed family relations and constricting parenting style, having unpleasant sexual experiences prior to marriage, guilt feeling about sexual intercourse because of its contradiction with religion, anxiety and depression. Results: Psychoeducational factors (precipitating, exhibiting, maintaining) impact the manifestation and maintenance of sexual disorders.

Objectives: This research was to determine the pattern of psychiatric disorders in the immediate family members of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Family genetic risk factors were also evaluated. Method: 227 immediate family members, 120 parents and 107 siblings of 60 ADHD children and adolescents between the ages of 5 to 17 years were evaluated. Psychiatric clinical interviews, K-SADS, SADS, and Wender determined ADHD and family members’ diagnosis. Evaluation of presence of ADHD diagnosis and other psychiatric diagnosis were based on DSM-IV standards. Findings: The most prevalent psychiatric diagnosis in the families was disorders of depression (51.7%), ADHD (48.3%), anxiety (41.7%), and obsessive compulsive (25%). The most prevalent diagnosis, comorbid to ADHD was disorders of Enuresis (38.3%), obsessive-compulsive (31.7%), anxiety (30%), and tic (26.7%); in the adolescent group, it was bipolar disorder with 37.5%. Results: The high prevalence of ADHD in the afflicted families indicates strong influence of genetic factors. The presence of comorbid disorders to ADHD and high prevalence of affective and anxiety disorders in the families of ADHD may point to homogeneity in genetic etiology in these disorders and subgroups of ADHD whose risk factors, etiology, and treatment responses may differ.

Objectives: The present study was conducted to compare the prevalence of behavioral disorders among children in single child families vs. children in multiple children families. Method: To evaluate such disorders, through multi-stage cluster sampling, 837 children from elementary schools in Tehran were selected as the subjects of the study. 422 of these children were from single and 415 children were from multiple children families. Child Symptom Inventory, CSI-4 was completed separately by both the parents and teachers. The findings of the research were analyzed by c2 and regression. Findings: The subjects from multiple children, much more than the ones from the single child families, exhibited higher prevalence of conduct disorder according to the parents' reports and higher prevalence of ADHD and other behavioral disorders according to the teacher's reports. Furthermore, the presence or absence of one of the parents was a significant factor intervening in the spoken difference; combination of the two factors, single child families and the number of parents impacted the prevalence of related disorders. Results: This study did not confirm the popular belief that the children of single child families suffer from higher prevalence of behavioral disorders.

Objectives: The aim of present project was to investigate efficacy of social skills training on adjusting behaviors of mild mentally retarded children. Method: 28 students between the ages of eleven years to eleven years and ten months old were selected randomly and divided into two groups of study (N=14) and control (N=14). The subjects were mildly mentally retarded based on Wechsler IQ Test with the scores ranging between 63 and 67. They also obtained low levels of adjusting behavior in daily life skills and socialization skills in the subscales of Vineland Scale. At first all the subjects were examined with Social Skills Training Check List; then the study group was pro- vided with about 2.5 months of training (15 sessions) on social skills. At the end of the training period, and once again, two months later in a follow up assessment, all the subjects were evaluated by the spoken instruments. Findings: The findings showed that the experimental group had significantly improved in adjusting behaviors and social skills (daily life skills and socialization skill).The follow up evaluation revealed that social skills training in experimental group was still effective two months after termination of training. The control group comparatively did not significantly improve on any of the variables. Results: Social skills training improve adjusting behaviors of mild mentally retarded children.

Objectives: This study was conducted with the objectives of assessing general practitioners’ knowledge of conversion disorder. Method: Using the available convenient sampling, 136 general practitioners were selected as the subjects of the study. The instruments used for this study included a 20-item questionnaire, hypothetical case histories, and a diagnostic and treatment questionnaire.136 responses obtained from the subjects prior to two retraining programs in psychiatry were analyzed by using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis non parametric statistics. Findings: Despite achieving high grades on the medical diagnosis questionnaire, the subjects scored poorly on the questionnaire related to conversion diagnosis. The subjects attained inadequate scores of 24, 16, and 22 respectively on the diagnosis of pseudoseizure, conversion paralysis, and conversion blindness. There was no significant correlation between the average scores on the diagnosis with the subjects’ gender and university of graduation. However, a negative significant correlation was noted between age and the length of time since graduation with the scores acquired on conversion diagnosis. Results: Based on the findings of this study, the knowledge of the general practitioners on medical diagnosis was acceptable, but in the area of conversion diagnosis, their knowledge was poor.

Objectives: This was a single case study of a patient with unusual dissociation disorder with repetitive rotating behavior. The patient’s school performance had dropped significantly as a result of this illness and other treatment methods had proven relatively ineffective. Method: The subject was a 22 year old male college student who had been exhibiting rotating behavior along with day dreaming since the age of 10. Engaging in such behaviors had lowered his school performance. His cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) commenced with using methods of self-monitoring, muscle relaxation, thought distraction, thought stopping, and aversion, followed by self assertive training and other behavioral methods. Findings: Upon completion of treatment program and again at the 8-month follow up evaluation, the patient’s rotating behavior was extinct and his interpersonal behavior was significantly improved. Results: CBT method can be effective in symptom reduction and improvement of dissociation disorder.

Objectives: This research evaluated the efficacy of Yoga as a method in treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients who were under standard medications. Method: Yoga treatment was provided for 20 OCD patients, 13 women and 7 men between the ages of 21 and 53 years. These patients had been under drug treatment for at least four months, but had not completely recovered. The patients were evaluated by YBOCS 1.5 month after commencement of Yoga treatment and then three and six months thereafter. Findings: The average YBOCS score at the beginning of Yoga treatment was 24.11 (+/-2.15). This score was reduced to 18 (+/-2.18), 15 (+/- 2.29), and 11.56 (+/-1.49) respectively at the 1.5, three, and six month periods. The obtained significant changes show the efficacy of Yoga treatment. Results: Yoga can be effective in treatment of OCD patients resistant to standard medicine treatment.

Objectives: Evaluating the meaning of support from the perspectives of cancer patients under chemotherapy, their families, nurses, and the oncologists, their concepts of “being support- ed” and “providing support” was assessed. Method: Data was collected through qualitative method and semistructured interviews of 10 patients and their families, and eight nurses and physicians with oncology specializetion. They described their experience of “perceived support” and “received support” analytically. The interviews were tape recoded; the participants’ statements were analyzed using the procedures and techniques of ground theory. Findings: The findings showed that “support” is multidimensional and a vital need; it must continuously be available to service recipients. The patients and their families were aware of lack of support by the health treatment service providers. From the perspective of the service recipients, mental support was deemed to have the highest priority. Nurses and physicians considered physical support with the highest priority and all the clinical interventions equal to that of “support”. Nonetheless in comparison with the concept of “caring”, support is very deeper and more extensive. Result: Support, a process of social interaction is initially established through empathic connection leading to generation of a network of safety for the service recipients. Once a specific meaning of illness and its treatment is structurally formed for the patient, necessary abilities in physical, psychological, and social arenas may be attained. Iranian cancer patients and their families complain about lack of support and safety network by their physicians and nurses. This demands indispensable attention, reconsideration, and a new retraining alongside these lines

Objectives: This research was conducted to show the prevalence of child abuse in the secondary school students in the town of Khorramabad. The effective factors were also determined. Method: 240 students (117 girls, 123 boys) in the first, second, and third grades of secondary schools were selected randomly as the subjects of this cross-sectional and descriptive study. Child Abuse and Neglect Questionnaire were used as the main instrument. The findings were analyzed and interpreted by descriptive statistics and c2. Findings: The most prevalent abuse was related to that of emotional abuse implicated respectively by the fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers in both boys and girls (91.6%). By and large (58.2%), parents and brothers physically abused the children. 38 subjects, all girls (32.5%) reported to having been sexually abused. A significant correlation was indicated between emotional and physical abuse with family financial status, birth order, mental ill-ness and illicit drug addiction of family members and family social interactions. There was no significant correlation between the age of parents with physical and emotional abuse. Furthermore, no significant correlation was noted between the parents’ occupation and level of education with emotional abuse.Results: Child abuse is prevalent and it is mostly implicated by the parents.

Objectives: This project evaluated the level of awareness and attitude of students' regarding the effects of cigarette consumption and its relation to cigarette smoking of pre-university students. Method: Research data was collected through a demographic and information questionnaire implemented on 4023 pre-university students (2018 girls and 2005 boys). The students were selected by random cluster sampling from 64 schools in the city of Tehran. Findings: 42% of the girls and 39.5% of the boys attributed at least one of the four effects of alleviation of worry and anxiety, mind strengthening, lessening fatigue, and modulating anger to cigarettes. The most prevalent belief in both groups was anger modulation. There was a significant correlation between the number of beliefs and also the presence of each of the spoken beliefs with dependence and experience of cigarette consumption in both groups of girls and boys. Only 28% of the boys and 30.8% of the girls were aware of all the side effects of cigarettes like cancer, reduction of life expectancy, heart and blood ill-nesses, premature aging and skin wrinkling, peptic ulcer, and endangerment of bystanders’ health. There was a significant negative correlation between the awareness of the number of spoken effects of cigarette consumption and knowledge of each of the effects with dependence and experience of cigarette consumption; this correlation was stronger in girls. Results: This study showed that awareness of harmful consequences of cigarette consumption may keep off adolescents and youth from this substance or reduce its consumption.