Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences
Year:2023 | Volume:21 | Issue:12|Papers Count:7

Background and Objectives: Mental affectivity is a new perspective on emotion regulation. This view has introduced a new aspect in emotional regulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Mentalized Affectivity Scale in university students. Materials and Methods: The research method is cross-sectional and factor analysis. Its statistical population was all the students of public universities in Tehran City who were selected in a random multi-stage cluster method (academic year 2020-2021). The sample size included 500 participants, out of which 492 people were included in the analysis. Following tools were used in this study: Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), Emotion Regulation Skills Questionnaire (ERSQ), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Affective Style Questionnaire (ASQ), Symptom Checklist-25 (SCL), and the Mentalized Affectivity Scale (MAS). In order to analyze the data, confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis, as well as Cronbach's alpha reliability and criterion validity methods were used. Results: The results showed that this scale has desirable psychometric properties. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the three-component model of this scale. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0. 91 for the whole scale, and 0. 91, 0. 85, and 0. 64 for the three components of identification, processing, and expression, respectively. Conclusion: Considering the desirable psychometric properties of the Mentalized Affectivity Scale, this scale can be used by researchers in psychological studies, focusing on the student community. It seems necessary to observe caution in using these instruments for other statistical communities.

Background and Objectives: Generalized anxiety disorder is one of the most common chronic anxiety disorders, and the role of psychotherapy in reducing its symptoms has been confirmed. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of cognitive therapy based on mindfulness and life therapy on mental well-being and psychological security in women with generalized anxiety disorder. Materials and Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental study with pre-test/post-test design and followup (three months) with a control group. Forty-five women with generalized anxiety disorder referred to health centers and counseling centers in areas 1, 2, 3, and 5 of Tehran in 2021 were selected by purposeful sampling method and placed in two experimental groups and one control group. The experimental groups received educational intervention in 8 sessions, but the control group did not receive any intervention. In order to collect data, Keyes and Magyar-Moe’, s Mental Well-Being Questionnaires and Maslow’, s Psychological Security Questionnaire were used. Data analysis was done using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. Results: The results indicated the effectiveness of cognitive therapy based on mindfulness and life therapy on increasing the mental well-being and psychological security of women with generalized anxiety disorder (p<0. 001), and both methods had the same effectiveness. Conclusion: Considering the effectiveness of cognitive therapy based on mindfulness and life therapy on increasing well-being and psychological security, these treatments can be used as adjuvant, supportive and rehabilitation interventions along with drug therapies to rehabilitate and improve their quality of life.

Background and Objectives: Women are victims of chaotic family conditions, social damage, and structural poverty. Hasty actions, women's ignorance and lack of attention to the consequences of the decision, despite the intense pressure on them, have provided the basis for suicide. The aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of schema therapy on quality of life and self-criticism in women with suicidal thoughts. Materials and Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included all women with suicidal thoughts referred to Khurshid Hospital in Isfahan City in 2021. Among them, thirty women were selected by available sampling method and replaced randomly into experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). For the experimental group, Young’, s schema therapy was applied for 8 sessions of 90 minutes (one session per week), and the control group remained on the waiting list for training. In order to collect data, Ware Jr and Sherbourne’, s Quality of Life Questionnaire and Gilbert’, s Self-Criticism Scale were used. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: The results showed that schema therapy group training has a significant effect on increasing the quality of life (p=0. 029, F=5. 398) and reducing self-criticism of women with suicidal thoughts (p<0. 001, F=82. 865). Conclusion: The results of the current study showed that schema therapy can probably be effective in reducing the amount of suicidal thoughts by improving the quality of life and self-criticism. Therefore, therapists and health professionals can use schema therapy along with other effective methods to improve health-related characteristics.

Background and Objectives: One of the relatively modern branches in the knowledge of epidemiology, which despite being very important, very few articles have been published about it so far, is the branch of educational epidemiology. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to introduce the branch of educational epidemiology. Materials and Methods: This study is a comprehensive review study in which, using the keywords: Education, Epidemiology, and Educational epidemiology, all the articles conducted in the field of educational epidemiology and indexed in Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were collected and analyzed. Results: The database search shows that until the writing of this article in January 2023, only five articles with the title of educational epidemiology have been written and all of them have been published in JAMA. The first article was published in September 2014 by Carney and colleagues. The other four articles are all commentaries written about the article by Carney and his colleagues. Overall, it seems that educational epidemiology research is a challenging issue, because it is difficult to implement controlled interventions in educational environments. On the other hand, the strict accreditation requirements existing in educational institutions make it difficult to plan and implement educational interventions. Conclusion: It seems that by using epidemiological studies, including descriptive and analytical ones in educational units, it is possible to better understand educational processes, educational issues and problems, as well as ways to deal with them. This helps to improve the level of health sciences eucation.

Background and Objectives: Since anxiety is a common phenomenon in COVID-19 disease epidemic, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of spiritual intervention based on Ghalbe Salim concept on controlling anxiety caused by COVID-19 pandemic disease in women. Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, a total of 20 women working in Larestan City offices in 2020, were selected through random sampling and divided into two groups. The control group did not receive any education and the intervention group received 60 minutes of spiritual care education virtually in 6 sessions, and their level of anxiety was assessed before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using statistical tests. Results: In the intervention group, the mean score decreased from 13. 30±, 3. 40 to 8. 20±, 4. 07 (p=0. 025). But in the control group, there was no significant difference between the beginning and the end of the study in terms of mean anxiety score (p=0. 265). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that there is no significant effect of spiritual care based on the Ghalbe Salim concep, but due to the significant reduction in the level of anxiety in the intervention group, this method can be performed in larger statistical population and more stable conditions to talk more confidently about the effectiveness of this beneficial method.

Background and Objectives: Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an inherited disorder and a rare form of colorectal cancer. This disease appears equally in both sexes and its occurrence is more in the second or third decade of life. Mutations and alterations of the mitochondrial genome, especially the D-loop region, have been reported in various human tumors. But the exact role of these mutations in the pathogenesis and progression of tumors is still unclear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of mtDNA nucleotide mutations in the D-loop region, especially the hypervariable regions (HVR) in FAP patients. Materials and Methods: In this case-control study, 56 FAP patients were investigated for mutations in the mitochondrial D-loop region by Touchdown PCR, single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP), and sequencing analysis. Fisher's exact statistical tool was used to find the relationship between these nucleotide changes and the risk of FAP disease. Results: Nineteen nucleotide changes were identified in the D-loop region of patients with FAP symptoms. Two of these nucleotide changes (C16335T and C16352T) were novel and not previously reported in any disease. The results of the statistical analysis of observed mutations showed a statistically significant difference between the patient's group and the control group (p<0. 05). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate a positive correlation of mtDNA mutations in the D-loop region in all FAP cases compared to the matched control groups. Therefore, the mutation in mitochondrial non-coding sequences may lead to the production of defective proteins in the respiratory chain by affecting the expression process of mitochondrial genes.