Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology
Year:2009 | Volume:14 | Issue:4 (55)|Papers Count:16

Objectives: This study examined the effectiveness of psychosocial rehabilitation in reducing negative symptoms and improving social skills in chronic schizophrenia patients.Method: In this experiment 30 subjects were selected as the experimental group and 30 subjects were selected as the control group. The subjects were matched, and examined in a quasi-experimental study. To examine negative symptoms and social skills, the Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and Social Skills Checklist were used respectively. The applied interventions (psychosocial rehabilitation) were evaluated using pretest and posttest and a three months follow-up.Results: After three months of rehabilitation, the experimental group demonstrated a significant decrease (P<0.001) in negative symptoms as well as a significant improvement (P<0.001) in social skills in comparison with the control group.Conclusion: Compatibility of the rehabilitation program, intensive intervensions, extensive use of tokens, providing a social learning milieu, and activating the patients are among the critical factors of the effectiveness of the mentioned interventions. The results also suggest that psychosocial rehabilitation can be an effective intervention for patients with schizophrenia in Iran.

Objectives: Parenting style has a significant impact on the natural development of children. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the efficacy of Positive Parenting Program also known as Triple-P, on the improvement of parenting methods, children’s behavioral problems, mothers’ psychological problems and marital issues.Method: In an interactive semi-experimental study (pretest, post-test), 120 mothers working at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, who had at least one child, were evaluated. Data were gathered before and after the sessions, using Demographic Questionnaire, Parenting Scale, Being a Parent Scale, Parent Problem Checklist, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. Constructive parenting methods were taught in 8 two-hour sessions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and repeated measures analysis of variance.Results: The mean age of mothers participating in the study was 36.76±5.27. The results related to SDQ in children showed that a change in the mean total score of SDQ at the end of the intervention is statistically significant (p<0.01). Based on the general change, the mean scores related to the measures of Parenting Scale (p<0.01), Being a Parent (p<0.01), Parent Problem (p<0.01), and disagreement between parents (p<0.01) were statistically significant. In the dyadic adjustment scale the mean score of adjustment changed from 21.15±4.88 to 21.25±4.58, which was not statistically significant. The differences in the indicators of depression, anxiety and psychological pressure were also significant.Conclusion: Positive parenting education can be effective in the improvement of different aspects of parenting.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of attachment based therapy on the reduction of separation anxiety disorder symptoms without a direct intervention in the child’s anxiety management.Method: This study was carried out based on a multiple baseline approach with a step-wise initiation of treatment, along with the evaluation of the severity of children’s anxiety symptoms using a questionnaire. The subjects comprised six couples of mothers and children with separation anxiety, who were randomly selected from among mothers and children presented to kindergartens in area 8 in the city of Tehran, using clinical interview and screening tools for emotional problems of children. Intervention sessions based on attachment based therapy as well as parental management training were carried out.Results: Results of variance analysis showed that separation anxiety disorder symptoms underwent significant reduction in both attachment based therapy and parental management training (P<0.01).Conclusion: Attachment based therapy without direct intervention in the management of child anxiety or the instruction of child anxiety management to parents, can reduce the symptoms of separation anxiety in children.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of assertive training group therapy in aggression reduction and academic achievement among high school students in the city of Shiraz.Method: In an experimental study, 32 subjects were selected using the Aggression Questionnaire (AGQ) and clinical interview, from among 125 high school students. The subjects were randomly assigned to one experimental and one control group. Also, 32 normal students from the same high schools and classes were randomly selected as the normal control group. Assertive training group therapy was administered to the experimental group in twelve 90- minutes sessions. The normal and aggressive control groups did not receive any therapy. All three groups completed the study’s questionnaires after the intervention period. Data were analyzed using statistical tests of t-test, analysis of variance, and Schaffer post hoc test.Results: Analysis of variance in post test assessment showed significant difference between the variables of aggression and academic achievement in the three groups (p<0.01). In other words, aggression decreased in the experimental group and a significant improvement in education took place.Conclusion: Assertive training group therapy is effective in decreasing aggression and improving academic achievement.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of an anger management training on adjustment skills in a sample of high school male students with significant anger management problems, and proneness to aggression and violence due to drastic expression of anger.Method: The State-Trait Anger Inventory was administered to 170 grade 2 and 3 high school students as a screening tool. Subjects who scored at the 75th percentile or higher in this test were considered as the target population, from whom 32 individuals were randomly selected and divided into two groups. The anger management training program was administered to 16 members of the group as a screening instrument. Students’ Adjustment Questionnaire was used to measure adjustment skills. Data were analyzed using covariance analysis.Results: The observed F proportion was statistically significant (p<0.01). After the control or modification of the pretest’s contribution, the mean scores of the two groups were different in post-tests. This study showed that 58% of changes in maladjustment scores in individuals in posttest are explained through anger management training program and the maladjustment scores of individuals in pretest, with a 27% specific share of experiment variable.Conclusion: Anger management training program can improve adjustment skills of subjects and decrease the degree of maladjustment.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of trait anxiety in children, on attentional biases to emotional facial expressions (angry, happy, neutral).Method: 30 children with high trait anxiety and 30 children with low trait anxiety were selected using Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children and a semi-structured interview. The participants completed the Pictorial Version of the Modified Dot-probe Task. Data were analyzed using multifactor analysis of variance and repeated measures analysis of variance.Results: This study showed that the interaction between trait anxiety and scores of attentional bias, are significant only for angry facial expressions (p<0.001) and are not significant for other facial expressions. Also, the level of trait anxiety has a positive significant correlation with scores of attentional bias toward angry faces (p<0.001).Conclusion: Children with high anxiety traits show a significant vigilance toward angry faces, while children with low anxiety traits show an attentional bias away from the same faces.

Objectives: The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral group therapy on undesirable impacts of recurrent headaches, such as headache disability and depression in the every day life of patients with headache.Method: 20 individuals were selected based on the diagnosis of a neurologist and International Headache Society’s diagnostic criteria for migraine and tension headache, from among female students of Shiraz University. The subjects participated in 90-minute treatment sessions held once a week for 9 weeks. Headache Disability Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory were used in this study. Participants completed the questionnaires in pretest, mid-test, and post-test conditions. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance.Results: Cognitive behavioral group therapy significantly decreased the disability and depression in patients with headache (p<0.001).Conclusions: Cognitive-behavioral group therapy can be used for the treatment of the impacts of migraine and tension headaches such as depression and disability, either alone, or in combination with other treatment methods such as pharmacological treatment.

Objectives: Considering the importance of memory problems in the development and maintenance of obsessivecompulsive disorder, the present study has been carried out with the goal of evaluating a number of memory functions in patients with the mentioned disorder.Method: In order to study memory bias and confidence, and the effects of responsibility on them in patients with checking obsessions, 11 OCD patients with washing rituals, 7 patients with generalized anxiety disorder, and 10 normal individuals were examined in two responsibility conditions (high and low) for secure, insecure and neutral objects in three stages, using quasi-experimental method. Data were analyzed using MANOVA with repeated measures.Results: OCD patients with checking rituals had memory bias to insecure objects recall (p<0.01). Also, regarding memory confidence, patients with checking rituals had lower confidence about their memory (p<0.05), which was more severe for insecure objects and high responsibility conditions (p<0.01). The number of times of task execution did not show a significant interactive effect.Conclusion: It seems that the most important problem of these patients is in the process of meta memory, where a low confidence to recalls plays the most important role in explaining the disorder. The results of the study support the development of a self perpetuating mechanism in checking OCD.

Objectives: This study has been carried out with the aim of investigating motor, cognitive and executive functions of a group of accident-prone drivers.Method: Seventy professional accident-prone drivers with major faults and 30 drivers recognized as good and safe drivers, were examined using tests that assessed reaction time, recognition, memory, attention and concentration, as well as tests assessing decision making and response selection.Results: From among the applied tests, perseveration error scores in Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (p<0.01) and reaction time for visual search (p<0.01) significantly differentiate between the accident prone and safe bus drivers. Scores on the visual search test showed highest correlation with IQ among the measures utilized (r=0.35, p<0.01). However, the scores for visual search test did not show significant correlation with other tests except for response errors in continuous performance test (r=0.24, p<0.001), and perseveration errors in Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (r=0.22; p<0.05). Age showed a positive and significant correlation with IQ scores (r=0.39, p=<0.001), response errors in continuous performance test (r=0.38, p=0.001) and reaction time for visual search test (r=0.23, p=0.05).Conclusion: Neuropsychological tests can differentiate accident-prone from safe drivers. However, regarding the limitation in the validation of this tool, one should be careful in generalizing the results.

Objectives: The aim of the present article is to assess the reliability and validity of the Social Provision Scale (SPS). Method: This experiment is a survey study. The subjects consisted of 200 male and female students of Isfahan University who were selected using randomized cluster sampling and were then evaluated using Cutrona and Russell's social provision scale. Goldberg's Well-being Questionnaire was used to assess the validity of the study’s instrument. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and univariate and multivariate analysis of variance.Results: Cronbach’s alpha for all subjects, males and females was 0.85, 0.87 and 0.82 respectively. Assessment of validity using factor analysis revealed that the six sub-scales of social support can be reduced to one factor, which could be refered to as social support. There was a significant relationship between social support and feeling of happiness (r=0.449) which indicates the validity of the instrument.Conclusion: The Social Provision Scale support instrument has a highly significant validity and reliability and is suitable to Iranian culture.

Objectives: With regard to the increase in the elderly population in Iran and across the globe and their risk of suffering from chronic disease, this study was carried out with the aim of evaluating the view point of the Iranian elders about the concept of power.Method: In this qualitative study which was carried out using a content analysis method, 26 participants were selected using goal based sampling, and were examined over a 12 month period. Data were collected through interviews.Results: The main categories that emerged from this qualitative study, included: independence; being aware of personal changes; coping; perceived self ability; role playing; and mastery/owning.Conclusion: Understanding the viewpoint of the elderly regarding the structure of power, provides a firm basis for nursing care. In this study, perceived satisfaction and being in control which leads to an enhancement in the quality of life, forms the basis of power structure. The findings of this study can be used to design a model for empowering Iranian elderly.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of mental disorders among individuals between 15 and 29 years of age in the Markazi province (in Iran).Method: In a cross-sectional descriptive study, 1800 individuals (907 males and 893 females) were selected using proportional stratified sampling from 10 cities in the Markazi province (Iran). The subjects were examined using Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and Tukey follow-up test.Results: 21.3% of subjects (26.7% of females and 16.0% of males) were suffering from at least one mental disorder. Being a female (p<0.01) and being married (p<0.01) were significantly associated with the prevalence of most mental disorders. The total coefficient score of disorder criteria was higher in unemployed compared to employed individuals, and in individuals who had been separated from their parents compared to the ones living with both parents.Conclusion: Mental disorders are prevalent among youngsters in Markazi province.