PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES
Year:2019 | Volume:14 | Issue:4 |Papers Count:10

The present article has two purposes. Firstly, this article introduces the principles and techniques of a new psychotherapeutic model for the treatment of psychological disorders shortly named PTC (Paradox + Timetable = Cure). Secondly, this article evaluates the effectiveness of PTC for the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). PTC is a very short-term psychotherapeutic model successfully used for the treatment of a wide range of psychological disorders including anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, trauma-and stress-related disorders, somatic symptom and related disorders and feeding and eating disorders (Besharat, 2017). The PTC therapy process and outcomes for an OCD patient is fully described in the present article. Results of a five-session PTC therapy indicated that the treatment of the patient was successfully done. The result of an eighteen-months follow-up showed that the therapeutic changes were satisfactory, stable and permanent, during which no relapse was happened. These results corroborated the deep and permanent effects of the PTC psychotherapeutic model in the shortest possible time. The influential mechanisms of “ paradoxical timetable” , as the main PTC technique, and its adjustment to the treatment outcomes of the patient are also explained in the present article. The PTC psychotherapeutic model, as a very short-term, effective, efficient and yet economical approach is introduced and suggested for the treatment of OCD.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of group cognitive therapy by Michael Ferry on modifying early maladaptive schemas and coping strategies of married girls. The study was a semi experimental design with pretest-posttest design with control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all female students of the Department of Cartography and Geography of Tehran University. Among them, 30 were selected by purposeful sampling (entry and exit criteria) and interviewed and randomly divided into two experimental groups And control were assigned the same proportion and responded to the Yang Scheme (short form) and coping styles questionnaires in two stages of pre-test and post-test. Group intervention by Michael Frey Cognitive Therapy was performed in 12 sessions of 1 hour (2 sessions per week) on the experimental group, while control group members did not receive any treatment interventions. The results of multivariate analysis of covariance showed that there is a significant difference between the two groups in the pre-test and post-test scores with the control of the effect of pretest on the variables of the initial maladaptive schemas and the coping strategies. Based on the findings of the research, it is suggested to adjust the amount of early maladaptive schemas (cuts and exclusion, self-regulation and impaired performance, disturbances, disability, and hearing impairment and inhibition) and coping strategies An emotional and increased strategy of coping with married girls was used to group cognitive therapy using Michael Frey's method.

Attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in childhood that accounts for the highest number of children psychologists and pediatric psychiatrists. Considering the importance of effective intervention in this field, the aim of present study was to determine the effectiveness of play therapy on visual short-term memory and cognitive flexibility in children with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder. This methodology is a quasi-experimental study with pre-test-post-test design with experimental and control group. The statistical population included all children with attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder referring to psychiatric centers of Rasht in 2016 that were under medical treatment, of among them 30 children were selected by available sampling method and according to the conditions of entering the research and assigned in the experimental and control groups. To collect the data, attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder rating scale American Psychiatric Association (2013), Stroop Test (1935), and André ry (1942) were used. For experimental group, play therapy program was executed at 10 weekly sessions in 75 minutes whereas control group did not receive any training. The results of covariance analysis showed that play-therapy caused improvement in cognitive flexibility and short-term visual memory in children with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder in the post-test in the experimental group (p<0/01). Play therapy provides an objective and tangible training experience for children through an appropriate method of children's development, and this practical exercise directly contributes to improving the cognitive flexibility and visual short-term memory of this children.

The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between loneliness and nomophobia with the intermediating role of the aspects of spiritual well-being. This research is a descriptive one of correlation and path analysis test. The research population includes all the girl university students of AlZahra University living in the dormitory during the academic year 2016-2017 who were about 1100 people. Sampling method was random sampling and the sample size was selected as 300 people by using Morgan-Krejcie table. Data collection tools included Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA-S), and Spiritual Well Being Questionnaire (SWB). Path analysis test was used for analyzing the data. The results of data analyses showed that spiritual well-being plays an intermediating role between loneliness and nomophobia. Also, the changes of the variance of the scores of nomophobia among the girl students can be explained by the variable of loneliness and the intermediating role of spiritual well-being. Therefore, planning for promotion of spiritual well-being among the students can play an important role in decreasing nomophobia by decreasing their loneliness.

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship, and discrepancy between explicit and implicit self-esteem, with depression syndromes, suicidal ideation, and loneliness. The present study was a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population include all of the Farhangian University of Kurdistan students in the academic year 2017-2018. 95 volunteers participated using a voluntary sampling method in this research. Measurement tools included the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Name Initial Preferences Task, Beck Depression Inventory, beck suicide ideation Scale, and Loneliness Scale. The results with hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that explicit but not implicit self-esteem was negatively associated with depression syndromes, suicidal ideation, and loneliness. Simultaneously implicit and explicit self-esteem was associated with suicidal ideation. Furthermore, the size of the discrepancy between implicit and explicit self-esteem was positively associated with depression syndromes, suicidal ideation, and loneliness. In addition, the direction of the discrepancy was an important: damaged self-esteem was consistently associated with increased levels of depression syndromes, suicidal ideation, and loneliness, while defensive self-esteem was not. In sum, these findings provided a new insight into the relationship of implicit and explicit self-esteem with depression syndromes, suicidal ideation, and loneliness. Therefore, conceptual models that include only explicit self-esteem and neglect the effects of implicit self-esteem need to be re-evaluated.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy on depression, hope to future and interpersonal trust in divorced women. The research was carried out using a semi-experimental design with pretest-posttest and one-month follow-up with control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all divorced women referring to Shahrekord welfare centers in 2017 which were selected by purposeful sampling method. 28 of them were selected and randomly assigned into two groups of experimental (14 subjects) and control (14 subjects). The experimental group received an emotion-focused treatment for two months in eight 90-minute sessions, while the control group was on the waiting list and analyzes on both groups was completed after one-month follow-up. The instruments included Beck Depression Inventory, Miller's Future, and Interpersonal Trust Questionnaire of Rampel and Holmes. Data were analyzed using multivariate variance analysis with repeated measures. The results showed that emotion-focused therapy was effective on depression, hope to future and interpersonal trust in divorced women at post-test and follow-up stages (p< 0/05). Based on the findings, emotion-focused group therapy is useful as an interventional method for improving the psychological status of divorced women.

The aim of this study was to determine the discriminational role of brain – behavioral systems and positive and negative affect in discrimination of narcissistic and normal users in virtual space. The present study had a two-group discriminant function design. The research population was consisted of all users of active social networking in virtual space, aged between 18 to 30 years and living in Tehran. 195 participants selected by snowball sampling method in a telegram program environment. Data was collected with the Positive and Negative Experience scale, Narcissistic Personality scale, and Behavioral Inhibition/ Activation Systems Scale. The results of discriminantion analysis showed that the activation system had the strongest relationship with this function, and could distinct narcissistic group from normal. But, the discrimination power of four other variables (including negative affect, inhibition systems, positive affect and affect balance) were weaker. So, in combination with other characteristics of narcissistic individuals, the assessment of activity level of activation system can also be used to discriminate narcissistic individuals from normal.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness program on academic engagement with an emphasis on mediating roles of academic stress and academic burnout. For this purpose, we used a pretest-posttest design with a control group. 40 students were selected through a convenience sampling and randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The experimental group was trained for 8 sessions of 120 minutes. The groups answered the questionnaires of academic engagement, academic stress and academic burnout in three stages: pre-test, post-test and follow-up. For data analysis, partial least squares approach was used in the form of the multiple indicators multiple causes. The results showed that mindfulness program could firstly reduce academic burnout and academic stress significantly and in the second step could promote academic engagement indirectly. The follow-up model also confirmed these effects. In sum, the conceptual model of research explained 68% of academic engagement variance in the post-test phase as well as 50% in the follow-up phase. Regarding these results, it can be said that MBSR was effective since it increased non-judgmental awareness and make the participants more aware the challenges they faced. Counselors with this template can influence students' academic engagement.