۱.
It has been shown that physical activity (PA) is related to motor proficiency in children. Nevertheless, relationships between PA and balance performance among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been rarely examined. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine the relationships between PA and static and dynamic balance performance among children with ASD. The method used in this study was correlational. Eighty children with ASD (range age between 8 to 14 years old, average 11.51 years old) attended in special schools participated in this study. PA was measured using Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). Static and dynamic balance tests were used to measure balance performance. Pearson correlation test and regression analysis were used for data analysis. Children with ASD had low amount of PA and balance performance. PA was significantly and directly associated with static and dynamic balance performance. In addition, PA has significantly and directly predicted both static and dynamic balance performance. PA plays a very important role in the motor proficiency in children with ASD. Hence, there is a need for targeted strategies and interventions to increase the level of PA in this population.
۲.
Harmful use of digital technologies is increasing among different age groups in society, especially children. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to this issue and educate families to empower them to deal with this issue properly. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of family education on digital game addiction. The method of the present study was quasi-experimental with pre-test-post-test design and witness group. The statistical population of this study included male students of the fourth and fifth grades of Farid School in Ramsar city in the academic year of 2019-2020. Those had a cut point above 90 in Videogame Addiction Scale for Children (VASC) were selected and randomly assigned to experimental (n = 20) and witness (n = 20) groups. First, in the pre-test stage, the Videogame Addiction Scale for Children (Yilmatz, Griffiths, & Ken, 2017) was performed on both groups. The experimental group then takes a family education course. At the end of the training period, post-test was performed again in both groups and the data were analyzed using analysis of covariance and SPSS software version 24. The results showed that the mean of digital game addiction and its components in the experimental group decreased significantly compared to the control group (p <0.05). According to the findings, it can be concluded that family education is effective in reducing addiction to digital games. Therefore, designing and implementing training courses for families can be helpful in reducing their children's harmful use of such new electronic technologies.
۳.
The present study compared the effectiveness of group counseling based on choice theory on homesickness and emotion of thought. Research design was quasi-experimental administering a pretest-posttest on an experimental and a control group. The population of this study included all students (female and male) referred to counseling center of Sari Payame Noor University in the academic year 2016-2017. The sample consisted of 30 participants who were randomly divided into two groups (one experimental group and one control group) (15 students in each group). Then, homesickness questionnaire and emotion of thought questionnaire were administered to both groups. For two months, the experimental group received 8 sessions of 90 minutes of group counseling based on choice theory; however, the control group did not receive any training during this period. Pre-test and post-test data were analyzed using covariance analysis. The results showed that experimental interventions (group counseling based on choice theory) reduced homesickness score, decreased impatience of thought and increased dynamics of thought in students (p<0.01). It can be concluded that group counseling of choice theory was effective in improvement of emotion of thought and decreasing homesickness.
۴.
Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder. Its prevalence in women is twice that of men, which seriously affects the mental health of this group. Therefore, it is very important to adopt treatment methods to reduce it. For this reason, the aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy on coping styles and quality of life of depressed women. This research was a semi-experimental method of pre-test and post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of the study was made up of all women who referred to counseling centers in Mashhad city in 2017, who scored higher than 13 in the Beck depression test. 30 of them were selected as a sample by purposive sampling method and then randomly divided into two control and experimental groups (15 people in the experimental group - 15 people in the control group). Beck depression inventory (BDI-II), the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) and World Health Organization quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) were used to collect data. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance. The findings showed that there is a significant difference between the two experimental and control groups in the post-test stage in emotional and avoidant coping styles (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the problem-oriented coping style (P<0.05). Also, the results in the quality of life section show a significant difference between the two groups in the variables of social, psychological, physical and environmental quality of life (P<0.05). As a result, it can be said that cognitive behavioral therapy can be used as an efficient treatment method to reduce emotional and avoidant coping styles in depressed patients in the clinical environment. Also, the use of this treatment method increases the level of quality of life in these patients.
۵.
COVID-19 has shown a high rate of spread and a high death rate. This disease puts the mental health of people in a different social class at risk. The present study was a comparison of meta-worry, rumination and cognitive distortions in COVID-19 pations recovered and normal individuals. Causal-comparative model was hired in the present study. The population of this study included all COVID-19 patients recovered as well as normal people referring to Tonekabon health centers in the period of July and August 2021, of which 120 people were selected according to conveniense sampling. The research instruments were meta-worry Questionnaire (MWQ), the ruminative response scale (RRS) and cognitive distortions scale (CDS). To analyze the collected data, a MANOVA was run using SPSS-24 software. Data analysis reveal that there were differences between meta-worry, mental rumination and cognitive distortions in the two groups of people who recovered from COVID-19 and normal people; those who recovered from COVID-19 indicated more meta-worry, mental rumination and cognitive distortions than normal people. It can be said that based on the results of this research indicating the higher level of rumination, cognitive distortion and meta-worry in people recovered from COVID-19, it is possible to reduce these variables by teaching adaptive strategies to recovered people to deal with meta- worry, rumination and cognitive distortion.
۶.
This research aimed at the prediction of social adjustment based on early maladaptive schemas and social skills. In this research, 133 subjects, all were inhabitants of Tehran and were selected by the convenient method, responded to online questionnaires including Bell Adjustment Questionnaire (BAI), Young Early Maladaptive Schemas Questionnaire (YEMSQ), and Matson Evaluation Social Skill with Youngsters (MESSY). The LISREL and SPSS-22 softwares and the methods of Pearson correlation and Structural equation modeling were used for data analysis. Results showed that early maladaptive schemas in five areas (disconnection & rejection, impaired autonomy & performance, impaired limits, other-direction, and overvigilance/ inhibition) were correlated reversely with social adjustment. Social adjustment also was correlated positively with social skills. Applying the structural equation modeling showed that social adjustment is predictable based on early maladaptive schemas and social skills. Out of the schemas, two areas of impaired limits (-0.69) and impaired autonomy & performance (-0.53) have the most negative impact on social adjustment. Social skills, as the second strongest variable, have the highest positive impact on social skills, after impaired autonomy & performance. The results were explained in the context of the theory of early maladaptive schemas, and some points were suggested regarding an increase in social adjustment.
