Assessment and Research in Applied Counseling
Year:2020 | Volume:2 | Issue:3 (5)|Papers Count:6

Aim: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of mind games in improving psychological adjustment in older men. Methods: The present quasiexperimental study had a pretest-posttest design with the control group. The statistical population consisted of 30 older retired men in District 5 of Tehran in 2019 with lower scores in the Bell Psychological Adjustment Inventory (1961) and they were randomly put into two 15-participant experimental and control groups. The experimental group received an intervention method of the mind games for eight 90-minute sessions and the results were analyzed using the univariate ANCOVA. Results: The results indicated that mind games improved psychological adjustment (P=0. 001, F=34. 80) and subscales, namely home adjustment (P=0. 001, F=31. 61), health adjustment (P=0. 001, F=22. 95), social adjustment (P=0. 003, F=10. 64), emotional adjustment (P=0. 001, F=13. 78), and job adjustment (P=0. 005, F=9. 47) in the older participants in the control group. Conclusion: According to the results, it seems that playing mind games improved adjustment in older people; hence, we suggest using this simple, costeffective, and easy-to-use method.

Aim: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction on anxiety and rumination in married women with generalized anxiety. Methods: The present quasi-experimental study had a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all married women with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in Tehran. Among them, we selected 36 women using convenience sampling and randomly put them into experimental and control groups (n=18). To this end, we performed the anxiety pretest by Beck et al. (1988) and rumination pretest by Nolen-Hoeksema and Morrow (1993) for both groups (experimental and control), and then implemented the mindfulness training sessions (Kabat-Zinn 2003) for the experimental group in eight 90-minute sessions. After completing the mindfulness training sessions for the experimental group, we performed the anxiety and rumination posttests for both groups and analyzed the results using the analysis of covariance. Results: The results indicated that mindfulness training was effective in decreasing anxiety (P=0. 001, F=17. 54), and rumination (P=0. 001, F=22. 17) in married women with generalized anxiety disorder. Conclusion: Mindfulness training can be used to reduce and improve anxiety and rumination in anxious married women.

Aim: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of positivism with an emphasis on Quranic verses in improving distress tolerance and personal growth of mothers with mentally-retarded children. Methods: The present quasi-experimental study was a pretest-posttest with a control group. The statistical population consisted of mothers with mentally-retarded children in Yasuj in 2018 and we selected 30 mothers by purposive sampling and randomly assigned them into experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. We used the Distress Tolerance Questionnaires (DTQ) by Simons & Gaher (2005) and the Personal Growth Initiative Scale (PGIS) by Robitschek (1998) to collect data. After performing the pretest, the experimental group received positivism training with an emphasis on Quranic verses in a group for ten 90-minute sessions, but the control group did not receive any intervention. We analyzed data using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: The results indicated that positivism training with an emphasis on Quranic verses was effective in improving distress tolerance (P=0. 001, F=37. 02) and personal growth (P=0. 001, F=14. 15) in mothers. Conclusion: Positivism training with an emphasis on Quranic verses was effective in increasing distress tolerance and personal growth in mothers with mentallyretarded children.

im: The present study aimed to examine the roles of stress coping strategies in reducing fear of coronavirus among medical staff. Methods: The present study was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population consisted of all staff of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in 2009-2010. The sample size was equal to 100 who were selected using the convenience sampling method. We collected data using the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (1990), and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (1994) using SPSS (Ver. 25), Pearson correlation coefficient, and simultaneous multiple regression. Results: The results indicated that there was a negative and significant relationship between problem-focused coping strategy and fear of coronavirus among the staff of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (P<0. 01). Furthermore, the results indicated that there was a positive and significant relationship between avoidance-oriented and emotionoriented coping with the fear of coronavirus among the staff of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (P<0. 01). Conclusion: According to the results, programs can be designed to increase effective stress coping strategies and reduce the fear of coronavirus and they can be implemented through electronic and virtual training workshops to reduce the fear of coronavirus in hospital staff.

Aim: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of behavioral-communication couple therapy in improving marital conflict and family functioning of couples in Ahvaz, Iran. Methods: The present study was quasiexperimental with a pretest-posttest design and follow-up with the control group. The statistical population consisted of couples who visited a counseling center in Ahvaz. Among them, we selected 30 couples using convenience sampling according to the citation and assigned them randomly into two experimental groups and a control group. We used the marital conflict and Family Assessment Device (FAD) by McMaster to collect data. An experimental group received a behavioral-communication couple therapy approach in eight 2-hour sessions and the other group did not receive any treatment, and we performed the post-test after the treatment program. We analyzed data using the univariate and multivariate analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The results indicated that behavioral-communication couple therapy was effective in reducing marital conflict (P=0. 001, F=82. 86) and family functioning (P=0. 001, F=37. 37). Results: The results indicated that the behavioral-communication couple therapy was effective in reducing marital conflicts; hence, we suggest holding sessions based on the enrichment of couples' relationships to prevent and resolve marital problems in counseling centers.

Aim: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of communication skills training in reducing emotional divorce of women affected by their husbands' infidelity. Methods: The present experimental study had a pretest-posttest design with the control group. The statistical population consisted of women affected by husbands' infidelity who visited a private clinic in Tehran. Among them, we selected 30 women as statistical samples using random sampling. We randomly assigned the participants into experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. We implemented the Gottman Emotional Divorce Scale (EDS) (2008) on individuals at each stage of the pretest and posttest, and then analyzed the results using the analysis of covariance. Results: According to the results, there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups, and communication skill training was effective in reducing emotional divorce (P<0. 001, F= 49. 12). Conclusion: Data analysis indicated that communication skill training had effects on reducing the emotional divorce of women under the influence of husbands' infidelity.