CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY STUDIES
Year:2016 | Volume:6 | Issue:24|Papers Count:11

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of group schema therapy on the modified early maladaptive schemas and reduction of social anxiety disorder symptoms in students. This was an experimental research, and a pre-test, post-test and control group design was applied. The statistical population of this study included male students in Isfahan University with social anxiety disorder symptoms in the academic year 1392-93. The sample of the study included 20 male students among the male students in Isfahan University identified by the scales of Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) through simple random sampling. Then, they were assigned to two groups of control and experimental (n1=n2=10), and assessed with early maladaptive schemas scale and Social Phobia Inventory. The Experimental group received group schema therapy training for 2 months (8 sessions of 90 minutes) while the control group received no training at all. The results of multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) showed that group schema therapy in reducing symptoms of social anxiety and fear of negative evaluation and avoidance is effective, but no significant effect on symptoms of physiologically distress. In addition, the results showed that schema therapy were significantly improved early maladaptive schemas in all except two schemas abandonment / instability and subjugation (p<0.05). Schema therapy can be used as an effective intervention for early maladaptive schemas modification and reduction of social anxiety disorder symptoms.

Social phobia that has been renamed social anxiety disorder in the DSM 5, causes severe disability of person in social communication and a sense of shame and reluctance to participate in certain social situations. So using an effective therapy for it, is very important. Although the theater-based therapies to treat this disorder have been recommended, their clinical application of these methods not be seen. So the main aim of this research was testing the effectiveness of psychodrama as a theater-based therapy in treatment of social anxiety. The present research is an experimental case study research that has used AB method. The client was a ten-year-old boy with social anxiety. To estimate the amount and type of client’s anxiety, the Spence children's anxiety scale was used. The results of therapist and client’s mother observation, showed a significant decline in the social anxiety's symptoms. Also, the comparison of client's scores of Spence children’s anxiety scale in the pretest and posttest represents a substantial reduction in the level of his social anxiety. According to the research’s findings, we can say that psychodrama is an appropriate and effective therapy in treatment of social anxiety, but given that this study is a case study, its results can hardly be generalized. So the recommendation of the present researchers is doing more researches to testing the effectiveness of psychodrama in treatment of the mentioned disorders.

This research was conducted to study the effectiveness of education based on the cognition, meta-cognition, and behavioral model in reducing symptoms of social anxiety disorder (SAD). The study was a semi-experimental design with pretest-posttest design with control group. The study population was all patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD), that, referenced to private and public centers in Kermanshah in 2016, that by available sampling method, 30 patients from persons through structured interview (SCID-I) and social anxiety questionnaire of Connor et al (2000), were eligible for the study, selected and assigned to the experimental and control groups, randomly. Twelve sessions of cognition, meta-cognition, and behavioral treatment according to the model developed and based on theoretical perspectives was administered to experimental group as biweekly; while the control group did not receive the intervention. At the end of the intervention, both groups were evaluated again by the test of Connor et al (2000). The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).The findings showed that education based on the cognitive, meta-cognitive, and behavioral model was effective in reducing symptoms of social anxiety disorder (P<0.001). Therefore, according to effectiveness of the model on reducing symptoms of social anxiety disorder (SAD), it seems therapists and counselors can use the developed model to reduce the symptoms of social anxiety disorder (SAD) among patients.

The theories in psychology according to their philosophical assumptions, emphasis in diverse determinants for the explanation of the behavior and the nature of the mind. Some of them concentrate on the external, objective world and consider the external factors as the most effective factors in shaping the behavior and the others, believe human being lives in a highly personal, subjective world of experience that has the major influence upon his behavior. It seems we can consider the third factor beside these two factors (i. e. personal-subjective factors and external, objective factors) which is independent from them but influencing on them. This social factor is language which is so important in shaping the behavior. Then, the present study is intended to investigate Rumi's view on the role of language in determining of mental state and human behavior. Our research method is qualitative content analysis, a research method for the objective and qualitative interpretation of the content of text data through the systematic process. In Rumi's view, the mind essentially is not Separable from the language. Awareness has lingual nature and mental activities such as perception, thought and cognition occur in language. The language determines the form of meaning and individuals shape their experiences of reality thorough the meanings created in the language. Language also directs imagination and dominates it and also affects the body. Hence, it can be said that language is the main determinant of behaviour and mental condition and the method of study human issues is linguistic and narrative analysis. In Rumi's view, virtual language especially story and narrative has considerable and important role in shaping the meaning and the content of the mind and awareness has narrative structure. Essence of human has linguistic structure and he acts in terms of his linguistic circumstances. Language is the third world which is located between subjective and objective worlds and provides the possibility of their association and mediated between them. Hence, it can be argued that the subject of psychology is not mind and mental activity nor behavior but language. Because what we call mind is not separate from language and mental process is indeed linguistic activity and basic determinant in shaping behavior, is language. Then in order to understand human, we must study language.

Psychological studies suggest that attention bias and distortions in emotional processing are two factors of persistence of many mental disorders. Generalized anxiety disorder and body dysmorphic disorder as if two samples of common emotional disorders in our society that a great majority of people suffer from it. The aim of this study was to compare attention bias and emotional processing styles in patients with generalized anxiety disorder, patients with body dysmorphic disorder, and inpatients. The study sample included 300 female students who available sampling of public universities in Tehran were selected. Instruments used in this study are Beck Anxiety Inventory, Yale-Brown body dysmorphic Inventory, Baker emotional processing questionnaire and dot-probe software test. This study showed that patients with generalized anxiety disorder have negative attention bias more than patients with body dysmorphic disorder and inpatients (p<0.05). And also, patients with body dysmorphic disorder are not affected by attention bias during stimuli perception (p<0.05). In addition, patients with generalized anxiety disorder and patients with body dysmorphic disorder compared to inpatients are more likely to use intrusive, suppression, uncontrolled and dissociation dysfunctional emotional processing styles (p<0.05). From the results, it can be concluded that the rehabilitation and reform of attention bias can be effective in the diagnosis and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Also reparation of dysfunctional emotional processing seemed to be useful in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder and body dysmorphic disorder.

Wellbeing of the population is the main goal of each country. This study aimed to the structural model of self-compassion and psychological well-being, self-esteem and body image among female students of Shiraz University with mediator. The study population consisted girl students of Shiraz University. For this purpose, a sample of 280 student were selected using a one-step cluster sampling. The scale body image, well-being, self-compassion and self-esteem was used to collect data. Data were analyzed using path analysis by AMOS software. The proposed model is based on the hypothesis was tested. The results show that the model is a good fit. Based on the results of the structural model, "self-compassion is a predictor of body image and self-esteem", "body image is a predictor of well-being" and so "self-esteem is a predictor of body image". Indirect influences are consisting of "self-compassion influences on self-esteem on body image" and "influences self-compassion on body image on well-being ". Study the importance of self-esteem, body image and self-pity in well-being shows.

Separation anxiety disorder usually happened, when the children has the experience or anticipate separation from their parents. Diagnosis of SAD in childhood is very important to protect child from an injury on mental health. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of group relaxation on reduction of SAD on children with separation anxiety disorder symptoms. For this purpose, the researchers used the quasi-experimental design pretest-posttest model with control group. A month after the intervention sessions, follow-up sessions were conducted. The statistical population consisted of all first grade girls with separation anxiety disorder in Semnan. The sample members consisted of 24 patients with purposive sampling method based on the fifth edition of the diagnostic statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5) were diagnosed with separation anxiety disorder, and after obtaining parental consent to participate in the meetings of the group relaxation were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Then, group Jacobson relaxation intervention in form of the game during 10 sessions were used for experimental group in order to analyze the data, descriptive statistics methods such as mean and standard deviation and for hypothesis experiment, the two-way ( ANOVA) (SPANOVA) test was used. Results showed that between the effect of relaxation therapy on decreasing symptoms of separation anxiety disorder elementary students there was significant differences between experimental and control groups, and reduction anxiety was more in the experimental group. According to the findings, it can be concluded that the group relaxation intervention in improving symptoms of separation anxiety in children is effective. Therefore, in order to deal with separation anxiety disorder in children is suggested.

Anxiety disorders are the most popular symptoms among children. It affects cognitive, emotional and social developmental of children. High prevalence and negative outcomes cause to establish effective treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Kendal treatment program (COPING CAT Program) on improvement of cognitive emotion regulation of anxious children. This is a Quasi-Experimental study with pretest-posttest and control group. The control and experimental groups are selected by purposive sampling (N=22, age= 8-13).The evaluation implemented using multidimensional anxiety scale (MASC), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Teacher Report Form (TRF) and Cognitive Emotion Regulation (CERQ-K).The experiment was applied during 16 sessions individually. SPSS-18 software and descriptive statistics and covariate analysis method were used to analyze the data. Covariance analysis revealed that the overall mean non-adaptive cognitive coping strategies scores in the experimental group compared to the control group was significantly lower (P<0.05). The finding showed that the experimental group compared with the control group, the scores of adaptive cognitive coping strategies showed a significant increase (P<0.05). Coping Cat treatment program was effective on improvement of cognitive emotion regulation of anxious children. Findings of this research can be clinical applications to care and treatment of children with anxiety disorders.

This study has been conducted with the intention of studying the factorial structure and normalization of Children's Test Anxiety Scale in Iranian students of primary schools in Tehran. The sample of this study included 416 students (216 girls and 210 boys) of third to fifth grades students of Tehran primary schools that were selected through multiple stage clusters randomized sampling method. They completed Persian form of Children’s Test Anxiety Scale. The data were analyzed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and independent T test. The results showed that Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.85 for the whole scale. Based on the factor analysis of this scale using the principal components analysis (Varimax rotation) three factors were extracted: worrisome thoughts, off-task behaviors and autonomic reactions. Result of confirmatory factor analysis showed that three factor models seem to provide a satisfactory and parsimonious fit to the data in the present study. Considering the Appropriate factor structure of the Children’s Test Anxiety Scale, this scale can be used for the measurement of the degree of test anxiety in Iranian primary school students.