درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy on parenting self-efficacy and distress tolerance in mothers with insecure attachment styles. Methods:  The research method employed was a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of this study consisted of all mothers with an insecure attachment style during the 2024-2025 academic year in Ardabil. For this purpose, 30 mothers with an insecure attachment style were selected based on the study's entry criteria using purposive sampling. They were randomly assigned to two experimental groups (15 people) and one control group (15 people). Following a pre-test using the Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale by Dumka et al. (1996) and the Distress Tolerance Scale by Simons and Gaher (2005), the experimental group participated in 8 sessions (2 sessions per week) of 60-minute emotion-focused therapy as developed by Greenberg and Goldman (2019), while the control group maintained their normal routine. The data were analyzed using the multivariate analysis of covariance method in SPSS version 26 software. Results: The findings showed that there was a significant difference between the mean parenting self-efficacy (P≤0.001, F=13.98, η p 2 =0.350) and distress tolerance (P<0.001, F=55.00, η p 2 =0.679) of the experimental and control groups in the post-test. Thus, after implementing emotion-focused therapy, the mean scores of mothers with insecure attachment style in the experimental group increased significantly compared to the control group. Conclusion: As a result, emotion-focused therapy can help mothers with insecure attachment styles enhance their parenting self-efficacy and capacity to tolerate distress. This therapy enables mothers to evaluate and adjust their attachment style, ultimately fostering a secure attachment style.

Objective: The aim of this study was to predict and explain happiness and hope for the future based on parental attachment styles among female university students. Methods and Materials: This research was conducted using a descriptive-analytical and correlational design with a predictive approach. The statistical population included all female students of the Islamic Azad University, Garmsar Branch, during the academic year 2022–2023. A total of 274 students were selected using stratified and purposive sampling methods based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were collected using the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, Snyder’s Hope Scale, and Hazan and Shaver’s Adult Attachment Style Questionnaire. After obtaining informed consent, the data were analyzed through Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and path analysis using SPSS and AMOS software. Statistical significance was set at p < .05. Findings: The results showed that secure attachment style significantly and positively predicted both happiness (β = .38, p < .01; R² = .24) and hope for the future (β = .44, p < .01; R² = .31). Avoidant attachment style was a significant negative predictor of happiness (β = –.29, p < .01) and had a weaker, yet still significant, inverse relationship with hope for the future (β = –.11, p < .01). Ambivalent attachment style negatively and significantly predicted both happiness (β = –.17, p < .01) and hope for the future (β = –.30, p < .01). All regression models met the assumptions of normality, linearity, and independence of residuals. Conclusion: The findings suggest that parental attachment styles, particularly secure attachment, play a meaningful role in promoting positive psychological outcomes such as happiness and hope in emerging adults. Insecure attachment styles, including avoidant and ambivalent, are associated with diminished emotional well-being.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of cultural silence and emotional suppression within Asian-American families. Methods: This qualitative study utilized a phenomenological approach to investigate emotional suppression among 24 Asian-American adults residing in the United States. Participants were selected through purposive sampling to ensure diversity across ethnic subgroups and generational backgrounds. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted via secure video conferencing platforms. Interviews lasted between 60 and 90 minutes and continued until theoretical saturation was reached. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using NVivo software. Thematic analysis was performed through an inductive coding process that emphasized participants’ subjective interpretations and cultural meaning-making around emotional expression. Findings: Four major themes emerged from the data: family communication norms, cultural identity and emotional suppression, impacts on mental and emotional health, and pathways to emotional expression and healing. Participants reported indirect communication, emotional stoicism, and intergenerational silence as common patterns within their families. These dynamics were often reinforced by cultural expectations of respect, shame, and self-control. Emotional suppression was linked to internalized distress, difficulty in emotional identification, and barriers to help-seeking. Despite these challenges, participants also described transformative experiences involving therapy, peer support, and bicultural integration that facilitated emotional literacy and relational healing. Conclusion: Emotional suppression and cultural silence in Asian-American families are shaped by deep-rooted cultural values and intergenerational practices. While these patterns may hinder emotional well-being, participants also demonstrated adaptive strategies and agency in redefining emotional norms. These findings underscore the importance of culturally responsive mental health practices that validate heritage while promoting emotional authenticity.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and test a structural equation model for predicting marital conflict based on early maladaptive schemas, gender stereotypes, and emotional needs, with the mediating role of coping styles. Methods and Materials: The research adopted a correlational design using structural equation modeling. The statistical population included 1,760 married men and women with marital conflicts who had sought counseling services in Tehran in 2024. Using purposive sampling, 500 participants were selected who had been married for at least six months and voluntarily completed six standardized questionnaires: the Marital Conflict Questionnaire (MCQ), Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form, Bem Sex Role Inventory (short form), Emotional Needs Questionnaire, Young-Rigg Schema Avoidance Inventory, and Young’s Overcompensation Inventory. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS software through both descriptive and inferential statistics, including path coefficients and indirect effects. Findings: The results showed that disconnection and rejection schema (β = 0.413, p < 0.001), other-directedness (β = 0.214, p < 0.001), avoidance coping (β = 0.217, p < 0.001), and overcompensation coping (β = 0.122, p = 0.010) were significant direct predictors of marital conflict. Emotional needs significantly predicted both avoidance (β = 0.175, p = 0.014) and overcompensation coping (β = 0.246, p < 0.001). Gender stereotypes also played a role, with neutrality negatively predicting marital conflict (β = –0.229, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis confirmed significant indirect effects of impaired autonomy and emotional needs on marital conflict via avoidance coping, and of impaired limits and over-vigilance via overcompensation coping (p < 0.05). However, several indirect paths through gender stereotypes were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The findings support a comprehensive model where early maladaptive schemas, emotional needs, and gender stereotypes predict marital conflict through maladaptive coping styles. These insights can inform schema-based couple therapy by addressing cognitive-emotional vulnerabilities and promoting healthier coping mechanisms in marital relationships.