Journal of Child Mental Health
Year:2019 | Volume:6 | Issue:1 |Papers Count:22

Background and Purpose: Comprehensive screening for health is a major step in improving the delivery of services, so that school-based psychological services can focus on prevention, early intervention, and promotion, rather than treatment. The aim of present study was to develop a scale of mental health issues for children, based on DSM-5 model. Method: The present study is descriptive in terms of data collection method. The statistical population of this study was composed of primary school teachers in Alborz, Kermanshah, Eastern Azerbaijan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Fars, and Khorasan Razavi. The sample included 219 teachers who were randomly selected. Results: Item analysis showed that no items were omitted from the questionnaire. Factor analysis indicated that seven-factor structure with principal component analysis and equamax rotation which determine 40 percent of the variance, simplest and most appropriate structure for the data. In addition, all the subscale had good reliability which ranged between 0. 67 (self-regulation) to 0. 93 (academic achievement deficit). Conclusion: In general, the results of this study indicate that considering the psychometric properties of the mental health scale of students in primary school, this tool can be used to study the students' behavioral and emotional problems in educational and clinical settings in Iranian population.

Background and Purpose: Problem solving is one of the structured cognitive programs that provides a range of efficient responses to deal with the problematic situations of life. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of family / school-based problem solving training on problem-solving styles of elementary students. Method: The present study was an experimental research with pretest, post-test, follow up design with a control group. A sample of 120 students were selected using random sampling method and were randomly assigned to experimental (60 subjects) and control (60 subjects) groups. After 10 two-hour sessions of education for the parents and teachers, the experimental group received a family/school oriented problem-solving program for three months. A short version of the social problem solving (D’ Zurilla, Nezu & Maydeu-Olivares, 2004) was used to collect data in three forms of students, parents, and teachers. Results: According to the reports by the students (participants), parents, and teachers, the results showed that in the experimental group, there was a significant difference between pretest and posttest scores on the subscales of problem solving, but there was no significant difference between the scores of posttest and follow-up on the subscales of problem solving (P ≤ 0. 05) Conclusion: Family/school problem-solving training is effective on student's problem solving styles, so using this method is important as a preventive program for parents and teachers to adopt an effective problem-solving style for students.

Background and Purpose: The social development is a key factor in the treatment of children with ASD, for whom various methods have been proposed in terms of improving the skills and competence. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of vestibular stimulation on social development of children with autism disorder. Method: The present study was an experimental and pre-test-posttest-follow-up study with control group. The statistical population of this study included all the special schools for autistic children in Bushehr in 2017. Then, from these schools, 30 students were randomly selected as samples and assigned to the experimental and control groups (15 per group). Vineland social maturity scale had been used for data collection. Then, an intervention was performed on the experimental group and ANOVA with repeated measure was used to analyze the data. Results: The results of this study showed that vestibular activator improves general self-help (p≤ 0/001), eating (p˂ 0/001), dressing (p˂ 0/001), self-direction (p˂ 0/001), communication (p˂ 0/001), verbal and linguistic skills (p≤ 0/001), attention to useful activities (p˂ 0/001), as well as purposeful movements and gestures (p˂ 0/001) in children with autism spectrum disorder. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, we can emphasize the importance of the effectiveness of vestibular stimulation on social and adaptive skills in students with autism spectrum disorder. As a result, it is recommended to use this method as an effective intervention in various educational and rehabilitation centers.

Background and Purpose: Nutrition-related behaviors form up to the age of 18 and remain stable in later years; so before fixing incorrect nutritional habits in children, it is better to take the necessary steps to follow the healthy dietary principles. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of admission and commitment intervention on eating behaviors of obese female students in primary school. Method: The present research was a semi-experimental study of pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population of this study included all primary school students in the academic year of 2017-2018, among them 30 children from the second to the sixth grade were selected through convenient sampling according to the conditions of entering the research and randomly assigned in the two experimental and control groups. The research tool was a children eating behavior questioner )CEBQ) (Wardel et al., 2001). The commitment and acceptance intervention for mothers and female students in the experimental group was performed for 10 sessions of 60 minutes to two months, and the control group did not receive such an intervention. Covariance analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: The findings showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of eating behaviors; in other words, commitment and acceptance intervention significantly reduced the eating tendencies and its sub-scales in the obese female students (F = 22. 66 and P <0. 01). Conclusion: Through teaching mindfulness techniques, acceptance and commitment-based intervention helped the participants to form more flexible and appropriate responses to food instead of inappropriate ones.

Background and Purpose: Masturbation is a complement to sexual desire that does not require a sexual partner and increases suddenly due to hormonal changes in adolescence. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of distress tolerance training on alexithymia, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance in 11-14 year-old subjects with masturbation. Method: In a case study of multiple baseline type, the 8-hour treatment process was performed on four subjects. Four outpatient with masturbation were evaluated by Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS-20) (Toronto, 2005), cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire (Garnowski et al., 2001) and tolerance of emotional distress (Alawi, 2011) before, during, and after the therapy. The percent recovery was used to measure the recovery rate. Results: Results showed that distress tolerance training was effective in improving alexithymia and increasing emotional regulation and tolerance of distress. The rate of recovery was 44. 48% for alexithymia, 29. 50% for emotional regulation, and 39. 38% for emotional distress. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that distress tolerance training makes it possible for subjects with masturbation to identify their positive and negative emotions and thus decreases their emotional deficiency and increases their ability of emotional regulation and their level of stress tolerance.

Background and Purpose: One of the most common problems of elementary school children is aggression which has a direct relationship with parental attitudes and parenting styles. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of choice theory training to mothers on aggression of their children in elementary school. Method: This semi-experimental study was of pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population of the study consisted of all mothers of elementary school students who were studying in Hamedan district in the academic year of 2016-2017. After three months of observing the students' behavior and interviewing with the teachers, a sample of 30 mothers was selected using purposeful sampling. Subjects were then randomly assigned into two groups of 15 subjects. The instrument used in this study was the parent form of the children aggression questionnaire (Vahedi, Fathi A'zar, Hosseini Nsab, and Moghaddam 20). The data were analyzed by SPSS software and multivariate covariance statistical test. Results: The findings of this study showed that the choice theory training to mothers affects their children's aggression (P <0. 01), so that the verbal, physical, and relational aggression significantly decreased in the experimental group, but no significant changes were observed in the control group. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that due to the motivational nature, and change of beliefs, thoughts and attitudes, choice theory training can lead to decrease of aggression in children.

Background and Purpose: Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a serious disorder that affects psychological, communicative, social, and emotional processes. Accordingly, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of mindfulness therapy on tolerance of uncertainty, and thought-action fusion in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Method: This was a semi-experimental study with pre-test-post-test control group design with a follow-up of two months. The sample consisted of 30 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder in Isfahan during the academic year of 2017-2018. They were selected by purposeful sampling. The experimental group received mindfulness intervention in 10 sessions of 75 minutes during three months. Maudsley obsession questionnaire (Hajson and Rachman, 1980), tolerance of uncertainty (Mcleen, 1993), and thought-action fusion questionnaire (Shefran et. al, 1996) were used to collect data. Data were analyzed by repeated measure ANOVA. Results: The results showed that mindfulness therapy had a significant effect on the tolerance of uncertainty and thought-action fusion in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (F = 11. 13, F = 79. 98, P <0. 001). Also, the effect of this treatment is maintained during the follow-up phase (P <0/001). The degree of statistical effect of mindfulness therapy on tolerance of uncertainty and thought-action fusion were 40% and 73% respectively. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that by creating knowledge of thoughts and feelings, the mindfulness therapy can increase tolerance of uncertainty and reduce the thought-action fusion in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder.

Background and Purpose: Oppositional defiant disorder is one of the most common behavioral disorders in children, which causes severe destruction of the child's interpersonal relationships. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the parent-child and sibling relationships quality in families with and without children with symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder. Method: The design of this research is a causal-comparative. The statistical population included all male and female students of elementary school (from grade three to six) with and without symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder in Rudsar in the academic year of 2017-18, and the sample included 130 of them (65 students in each group) who were selected through convenient sampling method. The tools used for this research included the oppositional defiant disorder rating scale (Hommersen & et al, 2006), parent-child relationship scale (PCRS) (Fine & et al, 1983), sibling inventory of behavior (SIB) (Hetherington & et al, 1999), and clinical interview. Data were analyzed using t-test and multivariate analysis of variance. Results: The results showed that there is a significant difference between the group with and without symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder in terms of quality of father-child relationship, mother-child relationship, parent-child relationship, as well as the sibling relationships. The mean of group with symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder in each of these variables was significantly less than the group without symptoms of disorder (P <0. 001). Conclusion: The behaviors of a child with oppositional defiant disorder, mutually, lead to inappropriate parenting behaviors and conflicts between siblings, and, as a result, weaken the quality of relationships between family members.

Background and Purpose: Child neglect is associated with negative and long-term consequences in adolescence and adulthood such as internalizing disorders. Identifying the mechanism of the relationship between child neglect and internalizing disorders helps to identify the therapeutic interventions. The aim of this study was to examine the mediating effect of emotion regulation in the relationship between child neglect and internalizing disorders like mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and somatoform disorders. Method: This study was correlational research. The sample of this study consisted of 200 high school female students in Tehran that were selected by multistage random cluster sampling. To collect data, self-reported child abuse, difficulties in emotion regulation scale and youth self-report scale, were used. Correlation and path analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed that neglect of childhood indirectly and through emotional awareness can predict the symptoms of internalizing disorders in adolescent girls (P=0. 001) Conclusion: In sum, results show that part of the common variance between the conceptual models of child neglect and internalizing disorders, is the result of the variability in emotional regulation.

Background and Purpose: Elementary school years are among the most important stages of development, as many of the child's capabilities, including emotional expressiveness, are developed during this period. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the multiple relationships between maladjustment schemas, personality, and family relations with alexithymia. Method: The present study was correlational. The sample consisted of 220 mothers with primary school children in Isfahan in the academic year of 2016-2017 who were selected through available sampling. The research tools consisted of five factor factors questionnaire (Costa and McCrae, 1992), short form of maladjustment Schema (Welbler et al., 2002), family relations (Barnes, 1982), and researcher developed alexithymia scale. Collected data were analyzed by Pearson correlation and stepwise regression. Results: The results showed that the five domains of overvigilance and inhibition (p<0. 001), impaired function (p<0. 011), impaired autonomy and performance (p<0. 001), other-directedness (p<0. 011), and disconnection and rejection (p<0. 001) had significant positive correlations with alexithymia, but there were no significant relations between other variables and alexithymia. Also, among the early maladjustment schemas, overvigilance and inhibition, autonomy, and impaired function of mothers can predict alexithymia among children. Conclusion: As a result, it can be said that maladjustment schemas cause negative state among mothers that can intensify alexithymia among their children.

Background and Purpose: Since children with autism spectrum disorder are at risk for emotional and social problems, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of emotional regulation training on social skills of children with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest and control group design. For this purpose, 25 children with autism spectrum disorder were selected and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The experimental group received emotional regulation training in eight sessions, but the control group did not receive this training. Both groups were evaluated in the stages of pretest and post-test by social skills questionnaire (Stone, 2003). For analysis of data, covariance analysis was used. Results: The results of data analysis indicated that after the intervention, the experimental group had a better performance compared to the control group in the areas of emotional perception, initiation and maintenance of interaction (P <0. 01). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, training of emotional regulation by improving the emotional adjustment skills in social relationships and emotional and cognitive perspective taking, improves the emotional understanding, initiation and maintenance of social interaction in children with autism spectrum.

Background and Purpose: Several methods are used to increase social skills and adaptation of people with hearing impairment. In this regard, the present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of shame management training program on aggression and social skills of children with hearing impairment. Method: This research was a semi-experimental study with pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population consisted of all students with hearing impairment in the city of Karaj in 2017. Using a convenient sampling method, 30 of them were selected as the sample and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. Social skills rating scale (SSRS) and aggression questionnaire (Bass & Warren, 2000) were used to collect data. Educational intervention was conducted for the experimental group in 14 sessions, while the control group did not receive such intervention. At the end, the data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: The findings of this study showed that shame management training program has a significant effect on reducing aggression and verbal components, anger, and hostility of aggression, except the physical component of aggression. In addition, in the current study, the effectiveness of the shame management curriculum on social skills, the components of cooperation, self-expression, and self-control were confirmed (P <0. 01). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, shame management training program, which increases the self-esteem of hearing impaired children, is an effective way to reduce aggression and to improve communication skills.

Background and Purpose: The fascination with celebrities and the parasocial interaction with them can be effective in interpersonal cognitive distortions. In this regard, the present study aimed to predict interpersonal cognitive distortions based on the worship of celebrities and parasocial interaction with them. Method: The present research is descriptive and correlational. The statistical population of the study consisted of high school students in the first district of Rasht city in the academic year 2018-2019. The sample consisted of 200 male and female students of the eighth and ninth grades who were selected by convenience sampling method. The scales of interpersonal cognitive distortions (Hamamci & Bü yü kö ztü rk, 2004), celebrity attitude (McCutcheon, Lange & Houran, 2002), and celebrity parasocial interaction (Bocarnea & Brown, 2007) were used to gather the data. Multiple stepwise regression analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed that the parasocial interaction (ß = 0. 27) at the significance level of 0. 05 and celebrity worship (β = 0. 30) and its subscales including entertainment-social (ß = 0. 13), intense-personal (β = 0. 14), and borderline-pathological (ß = 0. 65) at the significant level of 0. 01, were able to predict interpersonal cognitive distortions in adolescents Conclusion: The results showed the possibility of predicting interpersonal cognitive distortions based on the worship of celebrities and parasocial interaction with them. The implications of the results are discussed in the paper.

Background and Purpose: The existence of a mentally retarded child in a family compromises the mental health of the members, however, other variables play a role in explaining the psychological status of the parents of these children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between mental health and social support and mindfulness of mothers with a mentally retarded child. Method: A total of 92 mothers with at least one mentally retarded child aged 6 to 14 were selected as the sample. The data were collected through mindful attention awareness scale (Brown and Ryan, 2003), multidimentional scale of percieved social support (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley, 1998), and depression, anxiety and stress scale (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation test and multivariate regression. Results: The results showed that there was a significant negative relationship between the depression, anxiety and stress scores (p< 0. 01). But there was no significant relationship between mothers’ mental health and social support. The results also showed that the mindfulness could significantly predict depression (β = 0. 50) and anxiety (β = 0. 46) of mothers (P <0. 001), but maternal stress was not predicted by any of the variables of mindfulness and social support. Conclusion: The significant relationships between mindfulness and mental health of mothers with mentally retarded children highlights the necessity of psychological interventions based on mindfulness.

Background and Purpose: The quality of academic performance of students is influenced by various factors. Students in school not only acquire knowledge and cognitive skills, but also experience the pleasant and unpleasant excitements associated with learning and progress. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationships between emotions of students, teachers and parents with academic performance in science course. Method: The present study was descriptive and correlational. The statistical papulation included all the 8th grade female students studying in the schools of the Miandoab city during the academic year of 2017-2018, 330 of them were selected using cluster sampling method and completed the questionnaires of academic emotions of students (Pekrun et al., 2002) and academic emotions for the parents and teachers (Frenzel et al., 2009). Also, the first semester's score on science course was used to determine the academic performance. Data analysis was performed using correlation and regression method. Results: The results of correlation test showed that there is a significant relationship between students' enjoyment and anxiety, and parents' and teachers' enjoyment and academic performance (p <0. 05). Also with the exception of teachers'anxiety, there was a significant relationship between the emotions of parents and teachers and the students' emotions (p<0. 05). Regression results showed that the students's enjoyment and anxiety and the enjoyment of teachers and parents were more contributing to the prediction of the students' academic performance. Conclusion: Emotional responses of parents and teachers, especially enjoyment and anxiety, have educational implications for students. As a result, teachers and parents should be aware of their emotional experiences and pay attention to the importance and quality of their excitement.

Background and Purpose: Autism spectrum disorder is one of the most difficult childhood disorders that is characterized by persistent degeneration in social interaction, communication, repetitive behaviors, and limited interests. The multiple problems of these children cause family members, especially the mother, to be disturbed and tense. The purpose of this study was to predict the psychological disturbances of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder based on mindfulness and rumination. Method: The design of this research is descriptive and correlational. The statistical population of the study consisted of all mothers of children with ASD referring to the centers of children with special needs in Rasht city in the first semester of the academic year 2017-2018. Among these mothers, 96 were selected by random sampling method. The subjects responded to the questionnaires of mind-consciousness (Baer et al., 2006), rumination (Nullen and Hoeksma, 1991), and psychological distress (Kessler et al, 2002). The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression. Results: The findings of the study showed that there was a negative significant relationship between the total score of mindfulness and the subscales of observation, action with Knowledge, and non-judgment of the inner experience, and the psychological disturbance of the mothers with autistic children (p<0/0001). Also, the results of regression analysis indicated that mindfulness and its subscales, as well as rumination (with a confidence of 99%), could predict changes in the variables of psychological disturbances of mothers of children with ASD. Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that mindfulness and rumination can predict the psychological disturbances in mothers of children with ASD. The implication of the result obtained in this paper is discussed.

Background and Purpose: Educational abuse and neglect are newly presented constructs in scientific texts, and the lack of a standardized instrument to measure them has led to problems in the study of this field of psychology. The present study aimed to develop and validate the educational neglect and abuse questionnaire (student form). Method: This research is a descriptive study. The statistical population of this study included all the 4th to 6th grade elementary students of Urmia city in the academic year of 2016-2017. A sample of 386 students were selected through random cluster sampling and responded to a questionnaire designed for abuse and neglect. Results: Results from validating the questionnaire through exploratory factor analysis confirmed the educational neglect and abuse factors. Also the exploratory factor analysis confirmed the values of factor loadings and fitness indices. Using Cronbach’ s alpha, the reliabilities of the educational abuse and educational neglect were calculated 0. 91 and 0. 92, respectively, which are considered as to be very desirable and acceptable Conclusion: According to the results of this study and the importance of evaluating educational abuse and neglect, especially in elementary students, it can be concluded that the designed questionnaire in this study is a suitable and valid tool for evaluating this area in elementary school students.

Background and Purpose: Creativity has many known and unknown dimensions and many researches have, so far, been done on the factors influencing creativity. The study of creativity, as one of the most important cognitive dimensions of the personality, is inadequate without taking into account the personality and the factors influencing it. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits and creativity by the mediating role of marital satisfaction, social adjustment, and mental health. Method: This research is a descriptive and correlational study. The statistical population of the study consisted of all gifted students in Hamadan province and their mothers. The sample size consisted of 435 students selected through stratified sampling method. The data collection tool was NEO personality inventory (1981), satisfaction questionnaire (2011), Abedi's attitude creation scale (2004), short form of Reef psychological well-being (1989), and social adjustment questionnaire for students (Sinha and Singh, 1993). Structural equation method was used for data analysis. Results: The results of the data analysis indicated that the causal model of the research has a good fit and, in sum, all the pathway have positive coefficients except the path of neuroticism on marital satisfaction and neuroticism on creativity Conclusion: Marital satisfaction, social adjustment, and mental health can play a mediating role in the relationship between personality traits and creativity.

Background and Purpose: Children with attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) suffer from developmental and functional defects that can cause serious damages to the family, including mother-child relationships. This study sought to determine the effectiveness of compassion-based therapy on post-traumatic growth in mothers of children with ADHD. Method: This study was a semi-experimental study with pretest-posttest control group design. The sample of this study included 20 mothers with children with ADHD in Isfahan city in 2017 who were selected by purposeful sampling and were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. Data were collected using the Tedeschi and Calhoun scale (1996). Participants in the experimental group received a compassion-based therapy in 8 sessions of 90 minutes, whereas the control group received no intervention. For analyzing the data, covariance analysis was used. Results: The results showed that the method of compassion-based therapy improved the sense of internal power and change in goals and priorities of life, while it had no effect on the feeling of proximity and intimacy with others and trying to maintain relationships with others. (p <0. 05). Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that compassion-focused therapy can be used to manage, organize and prioritize activities in mothers of children with ADHD.

Background and Purpose: Basic motor skills are the basis of advanced sports skills which should be considered in pre-school and primary school ages. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of (child-oriented and teacher-oriented) educational methods on the motor skills development of children. Method: This was a causal-comparative research. The statistical population of the study consisted of all kindergarten children in Kashan in 2013-2014. In this study, 78 children (49 girls and 29 boys, aged 5-7) were selected from three kindergartens by cluster sampling in two stages. They were divided into two child-centered and teacher-centered groups based on educational approach. In the teacher-centered group, the instructor conducted his activities based on a common and systematic program; whereas in the child-centered group, the center coach performed his training by giving the children the freedom of acting and the opportunity of playing. After observing and assessing the educational method of both methods, the researcher measured the basic motor skills of children. Evaluating and monitoring the motor skills of children continued for 3 weeks; including three one-hour sessions per week. The development of gross-motor-2 test of Ulrich (2000) was used to measure the basic motor skills, and multivariate analysis of variance was used for comparing between the two groups. Results: The results showed that the child-centered learning group was superior to the teacher-oriented group in the development of motor skills, but there was no difference between the two groups in terms of mobility skills (p <0. 05). Conclusion: The results of the study showed that in a child-oriented educational approach, conditions are created that increase physical activity and children's play, which ultimately facilitate the development of manipulation skills in pre-school children. As a result, it can be said that adoption of a child-centered teaching method meets children's need for encouragement, opportunity to practice, and play.

Background and Purpose: Mothers are the most important factors in the prognosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in pre-school children. Detecting mothers’ experiences in daily life increases the potential of improving the effects of interventions on the child and enhancing the parents' level of well being. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to explore Iranian mothers’ experiences in raising preschool children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Method: This research was executed in the qualitative method of phenomenological approach throughout a period of four months in 2016. The statistical population consisted of mothers who had preschool children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who referred to Ebne-Sina Psychiatric Clinic in Mashhad. Through convenient sampling which continued until saturation, 15 mothers were selected and participated in an unstructured in-depth interview. The interviews were analyzed with Colaizzi’ s method. Results: Mothers’ experience was categorized into three main domains. “ Inadequacy of knowledge” consisted of mothers’ unfamiliarity with the diagnosis, and the inaccessibility of scientific resources and applied knowledge. The “ difficulties of treatment” displayed their experience to manage the disorder focused on the limitations of treatment systems and the challenges of pharmacotherapy. “ Interaction problems in social network” signified the tension, conflict, guilt and shame, and loneliness and isolation brought on by child’ s disorder. Conclusion: Raising children with ADHD is a difficult experience which requires mothers’ professional support throughout the early years of the disorder’ s development. Therefore, all of the findings of the present study are potential treatment goals in increasing mothers’ well-being and they can be used to improve existing interventions and design new ones.