CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY STUDIES
Year:2017 | Volume:7 | Issue:27 |Papers Count:11

Act is one of the third generation therapies in which there is trying to alter the one ̓s relationship with his or her thoughts and feelings instead of changing the cognitions. The aim of this research is to evaluate the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on reducing depression and anxiety in infertile women who undergoing In vitro fertilization (IVF). ACT has not used for reducing anxiety and depression in pregnant women before. In this study Quasi-experimental pretest-posttest and follow up with control group was used. Among women who had primary or secondary infertility, undergoing IVF, and were at 14-22 weeks gestational age, available sampling was conducted. 35 women with above feature, assigned to experiment (17) and control (18) groups randomly. SCID and BDI-II and BAI were used for assessing depression and anxiety; before the intervention and after it; and all of them repeated one month after ending the intervention. The experimental group participated in 8sessions of ACT, which lasted 90 minutes weekly; while control group didn't undergo any training. To examine the hypothesis, mixed analysis of variance between - the subjects (SPANOVA) was used. Analysis of mixed variance of the effects between-groups for depression and anxiety showed the significant level was less than 0/05. Thus with 95% reliability, it can be resulted that Act was effective for decreasing of depression and anxiety in experimental group. The results indicated by creating psychological flexibility, ACT decreased depression and anxiety in pregnant women who undergoing IVF significantly. This reduction remained one month after ending of intervention.It seems acceptance and commitment therapy as a complementary treatment, in addition to medical treatments for infertility, improves the health of the mother and fetus during pregnancy and can have an important role.

This study evaluated the efficacy of metacognitive therapy (MCT) on reducing the pathological symptoms and trait anxiety of patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder. The current study employed a multiple baseline single case study design. Patients with GAD (3 women and 2 men) meeting DSM-IV criteria for GAD were selected using purposeful sampling method and participated in the therapeutic intervention after obtaining treatment requirements. The treatment consisted of 8–12 weekly sessions. Assessments were conducted at pre-treatment, post-treatment, 6, and 12-month follow-up on several clinical measures: Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-Q-IV), Beck anxiety inventory (BAI) and Trait-Anxiety Subscale of the State-Trait-anxiety inventory (STAI-T). Data were analyzed using the index of improvement percentage and reliable change index (RCI). The results showed that MCT was significantly effective in reducing treatment's target. It can be concluded that metacognitive therapy has appropriate efficacy in the treatment of men and women with generalized anxiety disorder.

Play -therapy is a method of changing the child's behavior in which the parent-child interaction is emphasized. The aim of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of play-therapy training based on parent-child relationship on reducing aggression in children with parents under Methadone maintenance treatment. The present study was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test and control group. All children with parents under Methadone maintenance treatment in age range of 5 to 8 years in Tehran consisted the statistical population of the study. Thus, among 85 mothers that were selected using purposeful sampling method and were willing to cooperate in the study and participate the classes, 50 children who got the score higher than the cut-off point in Relational and clear Aggression Questionnaire by Shahim and were diagnosed of having aggression syndrome, were selected and assigned into experimental (25 individuals) and control (25 individuals) groups. Child-parent group therapy based on Landerth and Braton model was implemented for ten 45-minute sessions as an independent variable. Data were gathered using Relational and Overt Aggression Questionnaire and were analyzed using covariance analysis test and SPSS-18 software. The results showed play-therapy reduced aggression index in physical, verbal and relational components in children (p<0.001). These findings can influence psychological interventions as an independent approach or complement the medical treatment of children with behavioral disorders and psychiatric and clinical applications is important.

Given the crucial role of trust in children’s compatibility and high-risk behaviors, this study aimed at investigating the development of trust in a sample of Iranian children. Using cluster sampling in four districts of Tehran, 240 elementary school students between first and sixth grade were included in this cross-sectional study. To study developmental trend of trust, tests of ultimatum and trust as well as assessment of children’s risk taking in social situations were conducted. In order to analyze the data, descriptive and inferential statistics including tests of ANOVA and MANOVA were used. The results showed that not only trust rate but also risk taking increase by age. These findings indicate a positive relationship between trust and risk taking in children. According to the results of this study, it is quite necessary to pay more attention to children as a vulnerable population against imminent harm and risky behavior.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) according to a chronic course, high prevalence and comorbidity with other psychological disorders, as one of the most debilitating disorders is adult, so addressing effective treatment methods and more economically for this disorder is beneficial and necessary. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of intolerance uncertainty therapy (IUT), Buspirone and the combination of IUT with Buspirone in improving symptom of patients with (GAD). In a clinical trial of quasi-experimental research with pretest-posttest of the patients admitted to psychiatric and psychological clinics and centers in Tehran 24 patients were selected with GAD and randomly assigned to three groups to IUT, Buspirone (5-60 mg per day) and combination. Data before and after the intervention were collected by generalized anxiety disorder scale (GADS-7), intolerance of uncertainty scale (IUS), Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS). The data were analyzed using a Kruskal Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and one-way Analysis of Covariance. The results of this study showed Both treatments IUT and combined treatment in comparison with Buspirone led to significant improvements in alleviating the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, intolerance of uncertainty, worry, depression and work and social adjustment (p<0.01). Also, the result of Mann-Whitney U-test and one-way analysis of covariance showed there were no significant difference between IUT and combined treatment. IUT and combination therapy are more effective than Buspirone (5-60 mg per day) in improving of GAD are. However, it seems adding medication (Buspirone) to IUT does not improve the patients with GAD.

This study has been conducted to investigate the efficacy of Narrative Constructive Treatment in Back to the future model on reduction of Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) symptoms. The population of the study were all women with ASD symptoms, which appeared following the exposure to car accident coma of the spouse and their husband hospitalized in ICU ward of Poorsina hospital, in Rasht, during 2013 (from June to August). The sample included three women (n=3), who were selected based on purposeful sampling procedure. These cases were selected using Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire (SASRQ). This study was a non-concurrent multiple-baseline (across participants) single-case experimental study. The intervention was conducted based on Narrative Constructive Treatment in Back to the future model. The treatment program was carried out for 13 sixty-minute sessions. In general, the study consisted of three stages including the baseline evaluation, the intervention period, and with a follow-up period of 1.5 and 3 months subsequent to treatment termination. Data were analyzed using the clinical significance (Cohen’s d) method, and findings demonstrated that all subjects who completed the treatment showed significant improvement in their ASD symptoms (d=-1.89), including dissociative (d=-1.78), re-experience (d=-1.82), avoidance (d=-2.08) and marked symptoms of anxiety or increased arousal (d=-1.88). It appears that back to the future model is effective in treating women’s ASD.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy on increasing satisfaction with life, optimism and positive effects of students. The method of this study was semi-experimental and adopted pretest-posttest control group design. A total of 34 undergraduate students among 1200 students in academic year 2013-2014 University of Shahid Beheshti were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The study instruments included satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985), Revised Life Orientation Test (Scheire, Carver & Bridges, 1994) and. Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (Watson, Clark & Carey, 1988). The positive psychotherapy on a weekly basis during six two-hour sessions was trained to experimental group. The results of covariance indicated that positive psychotherapy was effective in increasing satisfaction with Life, optimism and positive affects in students  (p< 0.05) and that their permanence was observed two months after the experiment. In sum, based on the results of the study, the positive psychotherapy is effective to increasing satisfaction with Life, optimism and positive affects in students. It can be used in promotion of mental health in universities freshman students.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on students’ adaptability. The method of the research was quasi-experiment with control group and pre-test and post-test and follow-up. The study’s population consists of Isfahan University students from which 40 students were selected by voluntary sampling and randomly assigned to the experimental and control group (20 in each group). Experimental group participated in 8 sessions weekly. Data were collected by career adaptability questionnaire (CASS) and analyzed by SPSS-19 and analysis of variance (ANOVA) method with repetitive measurements. Finding demonstrated significant difference between two groups in career adaptability and it’s subscales about Concern, Control, Curiosity and Confidence in post-test phase. Also the test results implied stability of ACT on adaptability and its subscales. By the end, ACT can be used as an effective method in increasing adaptability.

The main goal of the current research was to investigate effectiveness of the individual and family psycho-education of the bipolar1 patients in the prevention of the likely recurrence of depression and maniac episodes, compared to an isolated psychiatric treatment. After checking the inclusion–exclusion criteria, a total sample of 66 bipolar1 disordered patients were selected by purposeful sampling method and divided randomly into 3 groups. Depression and maniac symptoms were measured using the HAM-D and the YMRS instruments. Subjects of the all groups filled two scales in the pretest, posttest and follow up stages. Data were extracted from scales and analyzed by MANCOVA statistical analysis. Significantly differences were found between research groups in depression and mania scores. The depression and mania mean scores of the family psycho-education and individual psycho-education groups were significantly lower than control group in the posttest stage, whereas in the follow-up stage the therapeutic effects was only stable in the family psycho-education regarding maniac symptoms. No other significant effect was evident. It could be concluded that an individual psycho-education intervention could reduce the mania and depression symptoms in the BPD 1 patient under medication in short-term and not in the long-term. In contrast, the family psycho-education could reduce both depressive and maniac symptoms in the short-term and the therapeutic effects was stable in mania symptoms during time. In summary, the complementary family psycho-education can effectively prevent the recurrence of the likely mania episodes of the bipolar 1 patients under psychiatric treatment and is recommended for them.