Iranian Journal of Health Psychology

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of painting therapy in reducing emotional- behavioral problems (internalized problems: anxious - depressed, withdrawn-depressed, somatic complaints, and externalized problems: aggressive behavior and rule-breaking behavior) of Children with cancer. Method: The research design was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest and control group with follow-up. Using targeted sampling, 40children (6 to 12-year-old) with cancer, whose score on the Child Behavior Check List (CBCL) was one standard deviation above average, was selected and randomly divided into two groups of experiment (n = 20) and control (n = 20), but due to the drop in the number of subjects, it decreased to 31 (16 experimental group and 15 control group). The painting program was performed on the experimental group in the form of 8 two-hour sessions. To analyze the data, the mixed variance analysis method was used. Results: The results showed that although the overall score of the internalized and externalized problems was significantly reduced, painting therapy didn’t affect the somatic complaints (of internalized problems) and the rule-breaking behavior (of externalized problems). Conclusions: The results showed that painting therapy can be an effective way to reduce the emotional-behavioral problems of children with cancer. Therefore the findings of this study can have preventive clinical applications.

Objective: This study aimed to find out anxiety and depression among tertiary level students in Bangladesh during COVID-19 outbreak. Method: The online survey design was used in this study. To measure anxiety and depression, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scales were used. Binary logistic regression was performed to assess the impact of several factors on the likelihood that respondents would report that they had a problem with anxiety and depression. Results: The strongest predictor of binary logistic regression of reporting anxiety was gender (OR: 2.848; 95% CI; 1.836-4.417; p < .001) indicating female students had about 2.9 times more likely to report anxiety than male students controlling for all other factors. The duration of using social media (OR: 0.567; 95% CI; 0.329-0.978; p < 0.05) was also affecting the level of anxiety of the students. Depression was getting affected by the present living place (OR: 0.507; 95% CI; 0.316-0.814; p=.005). Conclusion: This study showed that students were having different level of anxiety and depression. Gender, the present living place and the duration of using social media were the significant factors for anxiety disorder. Depression was also getting affected by the present living place and the duration of using social media.

abstract Objective: Studies have found that PTSD patients are more likely to experience various physical and mental health problems. This study was conducted to compare emotional deregulation, dissociative experiences and cognitive failures in persons with and without post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Method: This research was causal–comparative. The sample consisted of 150 persons with and without PTSS (75 in each group) referring to forensic medicine centers of Ardabil city. The subjects were selected via convenient sampling method. Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short Form (CERQ-SF), Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) were utilized for data collection. Results: Multivariate analysis of variance showed that mean scores of emotional deregulation, dissociative experiences, and cognitive failures were significantly higher in persons with PTSS (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The findings indicated that modifying dissociative experiences and cognitive failures, and enhancing emotional regulation skills may help to mitigate posttraumatic stress symptoms.. keyword

Objective: Quality of life and mental well-being are some of the issues that can play an important role in the disease and its treatment. The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of life and mental well-being of myocardial infarction patients and healthy people. Methods: This is a causal-comparative study with parallel groups. The statistical population of this study was all myocardial infarction patients in Sina hospital in Tehran in 2019. 69 myocardial infarction patients and 72 healthy people were selected by the available sampling method. Data collected to use the Quality of Life Questionnaire (QoL, SF-36) and Psychological Wellbeing Scale (PWB). Data were analyzed by descriptive statistical methods, Mann-Whitney U test, and one-way variance analysis (ANOVA). Results: In terms of quality of life, healthy people were at a higher level compared with patients (F=49.90, P<0.05), but the score of total quality of life by sex was not significant in healthy and patient groups (F=1.74, P>0.05). Also, the dimensions of mental well-being were higher in healthy subjects than in myocardial infarction patients (F=4.41, P<0.05) and there was no difference between the two sexes (F=0.01, P>0.05). Conclusion: Myocardial infarction patients have a lower quality of life and subjective well-being than healthy people. Based on the results, it is necessary to pay more attention to two variables quality of life and subjective well-being in the design of interventions to reduce the psychological problems, patients with MI.

Objective: The use of cohesive devices makes discourse comprehend. However, in the discourse of senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type (SDAT) participants, the lack of the use of cohesive devices hinders effective communication. The present study aims to investigate cohesion in the discourse of SDAT participants. Understanding how these people manage their interactions may lead to suitable approaches for them. Method: The methodology of this quantitative research was ex post facto type. The present study has been performed in one of the nursing home in Kermanshah in 2019. And also, the statistic population of this study included 20 participants (10 SDAT participants and 10 normal elderly participants (NE)) who were matched based on age (63-75 years old), gender, illiteracy, and Kurdish language (Kalhori dialect) speaker. To determine the severity of dementia, the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) was performed. Then, the collected interviews were transcribed and coded. The data were analyzed based on Halliday and Hasan's theory (1976) and independent t-test was used to obtain the statistic results. Results: The findings indicate significant differences between groups using grammatical cohesive devices, such as reference (p=0.006), conjunction (p=0.004), ellipsis (p=0.007), and substitution (p=0.426) and lexical cohesive devices such as the same word (p=0.006), synonym (p=0.012), superordinate (p=0.001), general word (p=0.002), and collocation (p=0.387). Conclusion: The results show that grammatical and lexical cohesive devices are used less in the discourse of SDAT Kurdish speakers. However, in the discourse of both SDAT and NE groups, grammatical cohesive devices have more frequency than lexical cohesive devices.

Background and Aim: Considering the possible role of psychological factors in the process of cardiovascular disease and also the fact that these factors interact with biological agents to produce effects on cardiovascular disease, the present study aimed at evaluation of the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on mental health, hopefulness and meaningfulness in people with cardiovascular disease. Materials and Methods: The present study was an applied one and was done as pre-test, post-test and control group. The study population included all cardiovascular patients who were referred to Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center between January to March 2017 and had a history of myocardial infarction or open heart surgery in the last month. The study sample consisted of 30 patients with cardiovascular disease who were willing to participate in the study and met the inclusion criteria. The subjects were randomly assigned to the case and control groups (each group consisting of 15 subjects). Data were obtained using Snyder Hope Questionnaire, Meaning-seeking Questionnaire, and General Health Questionnaire and analyzed by repeated measure ANOVA and SPSS software. Results: The results showed that analysis of variance was significant for intragroup factor (time). For the intergroup factor, only significant variables were found for somatic symptoms and social dysfunction and were not significant for the other variables. The results of the present study indicate that time effect alone is significant regardless of group effect. The interaction of group and time was also significant (F = 12.84, df = 2) and its effect was reported 0.50. Conclusions: Overall, the findings of this study showed that acceptance and commitment based therapy is effective on mental health, hope and Meaning-seeking in Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases.

Objectives: One of the major complaints of addicts in withdrawal period is their malady and boredom. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of problem solving skills on happiness of addicts to methamphetamine in Tehran city. Method: Using a semi-experimental design and multistage cluster sampling method, 36 addicts were randomly selected and assigned to the experimental and control groups. Both groups filled Oxford Happiness Questionnaire in the pre-test, posttest and after three-month follow up. The participants of the experimental group were taught problem solving skills. Covariance and variance analysis with repeated measurement of Bonn-Ferny test were conducted to analyze the data. Result: Considering the presence of ETA square (0.28), it can be concluded that the experimental intervention led to changes in the treatment group that resulted in 0.28 total changes due to the intervention. We can say that with 99% confidence, there is a statistically significant difference between the mean of the study groups in the three intervention stages. Conclusion: Training problem solving skills is effective in increasing happiness level of addicts to methamphetamine. Keywords: problem solving skills, happiness, methamphetamine, addicts

Objective: the present study aimed at studying the relationship between job stress and personality traits and also if the effect of job stress on personality traits was moderated by social support. Method: The populations consisted of offshore personnel working in Iranian Offshore Oil Company (IOOC) in Kharg Island. 234 participants using convenience sampling answered three questionnaires (job stress, very brief NEO-form, and perceived social support of family-scale). Four main hypotheses using structural equation analysis were examined. Results: The findings showed a predictive effect between the personality traits and job stress except for openness to experience such that job stress had an increasing effect on neuroticism and a decreasing effect on extraversion, agreeability, and conscientiousness. Social support, on the other hand, as a moderator decreased the effects of job stress on personality traits except for openness to experience, extraversion, and agreeability such that it decreased neuroticism and increased conscientiousness. Conclusion: the results generally revealed the predictive effects of job stress on personality traits and showed that social support, as a buffer, can reduce the effects of job stress on personality traits. The results were discussed based on the existing models on personality changes.

Introduction: The present study was conducted with the aim of examining the effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) on depression of heart disease patients in Tehran city in 2019. Method: The research method was semi-experimental with pretest-posttest and control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all heart disease patients in Tehran city, among whom 30 individuals were selected through available sampling method and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 in each group). The experimental group received Emotionally Focused Therapy training in nine 60-minute sessions, and the control group remained in the waiting list. The research instrument was depression questionnaire (Beck, Steer & Braun,1996) which was conducted in two stages of pretest and posttest. The analysis was performed through SPSS v24 in two descriptive and inferential statistical sections. Results: The results indicated that intervention used in this study could significantly decrease depression in heart disease patients (p˂0.05). Conclusion: Based on the results of this research, Emotionally Focused Therapy can be an effective intervention in reducing depression in heart disease patients.

Objective: The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of Sahajaoga and Mind Strengthening Yoga exercises on the anxiety test of female children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with gastrointestinal problems in Karaj. Method: The study is semi-experimental in the form of pre-test-post-test with the control group. . According to the input and output criteria, 30 people were selected and divided into 3 groups (two experimental groups and one control group). Data collection tool was a questionnaire for diagnosing hyperactivity disorder along with attention deficit disorder and Abolghasemi exam anxiety questionnaire. The interventions took place in eight sessions and the subjects were examined before and after the interventions with the test anxiety test. Results: The results of the present study, after collecting and analyzing the data by covariance analysis test, show that Sahajayoga and Mind Strengthening Yoga exercises significantly (at p <0.05) confirm the assumption that the sessions performed were effective. . In other words, after the intervention of Sahajayoga technique, about 98% and after the implementation of mind strengthening yoga, about 94% of the change in the dependent variable is due to the change in the independent variable. In fact, the Sahajaoga and Mind Strengthening Yoga training is effective in reducing the anxiety test of this group of children. Conclusion: The overall findings suggest that yoga-based training has a positive effect on reducing anxiety in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and gastrointestinal problems. Therefore, it is recommended to use this method in medical centers to improve the anxiety and digestive problems of children with ADHD.

The purpose of the present research was to examine the effect of cognitive-behavioral stress management on health locus of control and resilience in patients with coronary artery disease. This research was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test and control group. The statistical population of this research consisted of all patients aged 40-65 years with coronary artery disease who were referred to Kasra Hospital in Tehran in 2019. The sample was 90 patients who were selected from the research population and assigned into the two experimental and control groups. Data were collected using the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale and Resilience Scale. The research data were analyzed using Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The results showed that the cognitive-behavior stress management significantly increased internal health locus of control and resilience in the experimental group (P<0.01). Cognitive-behavioral stress management may lead to a change in one's self-awareness and abilities through cognitive challenge, cognitive error detection and thought replacement, which in turn can increases individual’s sense of containment and cognitive control.

Objective: Today, work as a social identity plays an important role in success, health, and well-being. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of self-determined motivation with psychological, life, and workplace well-being. Method: The participants of this study consisted of 246 employees of Marun Oil and Gas Producing Company in Khuzestan in 2020, who were selected by stratified random sampling method. The instruments used in the study were Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale (Gagné et al., 2015), and Employee Well-being Scale (Zheng et al., 2015). Canonical correlation and multiple regression analysis through SPSS-24 were used for data analysis. Results: Findings showed that among the three dimensions of self-determined motivation, autonomous motivation with a structural coefficient of 0.94 and among the components of employee well-being, workplace well-being with a structural coefficient of 0.99, had the maximum relationship with the first canonical variable resulting from independent and dependent variables. According to the results of simultaneous regression analysis, autonomous motivation was the most important predictor for psychological well-being (β=0.45, p=0.000), life well-being (β=0.30, p=0.001), and workplace well-being (β=0.45, p=0.000). Amotivation could predict workplace well-being (β= -0.34, p=0.000). However, controlled motivation could not predict any component of employee well-being. Conclusion: Based on the findings, autonomous motivation was the most important predictor of psychological, life, and workplace well-being. Therefore, it is recommended that organizations provide opportunity for development of this type of motivation.