JOURNAL OF FUNDAMENTALS OF MENTAL HEALTH
Year:2010 | Volume:11 | Issue:4 (44)|Papers Count:11

Introduction: Some reports declare that Ramadan fasting has positive effects on mental health.This study was carried out to clarify Ramadan fasting effects on self-esteem and mental health of students.Materials and Methods: This descriptive-comparative study was accomplished on 60 apparently healthy medical students of School of Medicine of Azad University, Mashhad Branch (38 female and 22 male) who had decided to have fasting in Ramadan in 2007. The samples fulfilled the demographic and Cooper-Smith self-esteem and Symptom Checklist-90 -Revised (SCL-90-R) questionnaires at the beginning of Ramadan month and after at least 21 days of fasting. Data were analyzed by using Wilcoxon and paired t test in SPSS version 17.Results: In comparison with the beginning of Ramadan, students’ self-esteem increased after 21 days of fasting (P=0.001). Also some dimensions of SCL-90-R significantly diminished: depression (P=0.001), psychoticism (P=0.007), anxiety (P=0.001), obsession (P=0.001), interpersonal sensitivity (P=0.001), phobia (P=0.022), hostility (P=0.001), paranoid ideation (P=0.001) and global severity index (P=0.001).Conclusion: Ramadan fasting improves self-esteem and mental health of students.

Introduction: As narcissism has an one-dimensional approach, long questionnaires are not appropriate in clinical and research use, therefore it is necessary to use shortened questionnaires. The Narcissistic Personality Inventory-16 (NPI-16) is a short self report questionnaire for assessing narcissistic characteristics in non-clinical samples. This research was performed in order to validate this questionnaire in Iran.Materials and Methods: In this cross sectional survey, 342 university students, selected in stratified sampling method, were assessed by Narcissistic Personality Inventory-16 (NPI-16), Neuroticism Extroversion Openness Inventory (NEO) and Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II (MCMI-II) in 2008. The concurrent validity was assessed through completing a simultaneous MCMI-II test, while the differential validity was assessed as the differential power of test between individuals who had high or low extroversion and high or low agreement characteristics. Retest, splitting and internal consistency coefficients were reported.Results: There was a significant correlation between NPI-16 and MCMI-II scores (a=0.77, P<0.001). The reliability of NPI-16 was proved (P=0.001). Test retest consistency coefficient, splitting consistency coefficient and Cronbach alpha coefficient for internal consistency were estimated to be 0.84 (P=0.001), 0.74 (P < 0.001) and 0.79 (P<0.001) respectively.Conclusion: Based on the results, the NPI-16 is an appropriate instrument to screen narcissistic personality traits in Iranian population for pertaining researches.

Introduction: The present study was planned to assess the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy emphasized on religious believes to relieve psychological problems of wives of martyrs and veterans.Materials and Methods: In a double-blind clinical trial in Zahedan city, south-eastern part of Iran during 2008-9, 60 individuals from wives of martyrs and veterans who had obtained abnormal General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) scores and their anxiety and depression had been proved through a clinical interview, were selected by accessible sampling method and randomly divided to three equal groups. The first, the second and the third groups received 8 sessions of classical cognitive-behavioral therapy, 8 sessions of Islamic oriented cognitive-behavioral therapy and no intervention respectively. The study instruments included GHQ-28 and Dysfunction Attitude Scale, which were executed for each subject at the baseline and after the interventions. The scores were analyzed using ANCOVA statistical method Results: There were significant differences of scores between three groups (P<0.01). Although there were significant differences of improvement scores of two cases groups in comparison with control group (both with P<0.01), but there was no significant difference between scores of two cases groups (P>0.05).Conclusion: The findings exhibited that cognitivebehavioral therapy emphasized on Islamic approach bears the same effects of classical behavioral therapy.

Introduction: This research was conducted to assess the effectiveness of detached mindfulness techniques versus distraction techniques to decrease the craving and the relapse rate in patients with substance dependent disorders.Materials and Methods: In this multiple baseline experimental study, 6 male substance dependent subjects were selected based on the objective sampling method among clients of Parsian center for substance dependency treatment in 2005 in Mashhad, north-eastern part of Iran.The patients were randomly divided into two groups whom received detached mindfulness techniques or distraction techniques respectively. All subjects completed the relapse prediction scale (RPS) at the baseline, during the treatment (4th session), post-treatment (8th session) and at follow up stage (1.5 months after treatment). Some diagrams and clinical recovery rates were used to compare two different types of interventions.Results: The results revealed that both methods were effective to decrease craving and relapse rate in substance dependent subjects. The detached mindfulness techniques were more effective than distraction techniques (%62 versus %39).Conclusion: Detached mindfulness techniques, versus distraction techniques, are probably more effective to reduce craving and relapse rate in substance dependents.

Introduction: Postpartum depression may be related to pregnancy and postpartum fatigue.This research was accomplished to investigate the relationship between maternal fatigue in pregnancy and postpartum period with postpartum depression.Materials and Methods: In this research, 60 women with 36 weeks of gestational age and Edinburgh scale score equal or less than 9, were selected through a multi-stages sampling method among the clients of health care centers in 2009 in Mashhad, north-eastern part of Iran. Fatigue was assessed by Modified Fatigue Symptom Checklist in 36-7 weeks of pregnancy, and 5 and 14 days of postpartum. Postpartum depression was evaluated by Edinburgh scale and interview at the postpartum days 5, 14 and 28. Data were analyzed by chi-square, fisher, variance analysis with repeated scores, correlation and regression tests using SPSS software.Results: There were significant correlation between fatigue in the 37th week of pregnancy with postpartum depression in the 5th (r=0.651, P=0.045), 14th (r=0.651, P=0.045) and 28th day (r=1.000, P=0.000). Also there was a significant correlation between the fatigue in 36th week of pregnancy, and postpartum depression in 5th day (r=1.000, P=0.000) and also between the fatigue in 14th day of postpartum and postpartum depression in 28th day (r=1.000, P=0.000).Conclusion: Expression of fatigue at the end of pregnancy and postpartum period is related to postpartum depression. Fatigue in pregnant women must be considered as a predicting factor of postpartum depression.

Introduction: This study was planned to compare family drawings created by children aged 5 to 10 years living in single parent and normal families.Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in spring 2009 in Sanandaj city, western part of Iran. The study was performed on 160 children (60 preschool and 100 elementary school children) aged 5 to 10 years. Eighty single parent children were selected based on systematic cluster sampling. Also 80 Normal children were randomly selected among normal families in Sanandaj. Subjects were assessed by Corman family drawing test. The children were free in their family drawings. The information remained confidential and they were analyzed using the descriptive indices plus chisquare, t-dependent and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests.Results: Children who are grown in single-parent families, comparing to children of normal families, had more tendency to exhibit emotional reactions in their drawings, for instance eliminate themselves or some parts of their body (P=0.001), eliminate one of the parents (P=0.001), draw their parents separately (P=0.017) and use less variety of coloration (P=0.001).Conclusion: Single parent children show some emotional reactions in their family drawings, different from drawings created by children with normal family.

Introduction: The present research was conducted to compare the executive functions among the children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disability (LD) and normal children.Materials and Methods: Samples of this comparative study were students of 3rd to 6th grades of normal elementary schools and schools for mentally disabled children in 2005 in Ardabil city, north western part of Iran. Sixty subjects (20 ADHD boys, 20 LD and 20 normal children) were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data gathering was done by Conners' questionnaire for ADHD, hearts and flowers test, Simons 1 and 2, visual search and Raven intelligence scales. The multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) and least significant difference (LSD) post hoc tests were used to analyze data.Results: The results revealed that there is a significant difference in executive functions among three groups (P<0.00). ADHD children obtained higher scores in working memory in comparison with LD group (P<0.05), but had not a significant difference in inhibition (P>0.05). Children of LD group obtained lower scores in both inhibition and working memory in comparison with normal group.Conclusion: Children suffering from LD are more impaired in executive functions in comparison with normal and ADHD groups.

Introduction: The evidences indicate the influence of individuals' self-efficacy beliefs in career choice and development that may be different in males and females. This study was planned to compare career self-efficacy beliefs in high school male and female students.Materials and Methods: This comparative study was performed in high school students of Fars province, south-western part of Iran. Participants included 1833 high school students (1007 females and 826 males), who were selected by cluster sampling method from different regions of Fars province. All participants completed Career Self-efficacy Scale. Cronbach alpha and criterion validity coefficients were used to examine reliability and validity. The one-way analysis of variance was used to analyze data.Results: There was no significant difference between females and males in studying self-efficacy for male-dominated occupations (P>0.05), while females obtained lower scores in career task self-efficacy for male-dominated occupations (P<0.03).Females obtained higher scores in the studying self-efficacy (P<0.0001) and career task self-efficacy (P<0.0001) for female-dominated occupations.Conclusion: Girls have lower career task self-efficacy beliefs in male-dominated occupations despite their equal studying self-efficacy with boys in this domain.