درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of premarital education based on the Interpersonal Awareness and Choice Method in enhancing marital stability and emotional expressiveness among engaged couples. Methods and Materials: A randomized controlled trial design was used involving 30 participants recruited from premarital counseling centers in Tehran. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15), which received a ten-session premarital education program, and a control group (n = 15), which received no intervention during the study period. The intervention was delivered in weekly 60-minute group sessions focusing on interpersonal awareness, emotional literacy, and decision-making in romantic relationships. Standardized instruments were used to measure marital stability and emotional expressiveness at three time points: pretest, posttest, and five-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests in SPSS-27 to assess within-group and between-group differences over time. Findings: Results indicated a significant interaction effect between time and group for marital stability (F(2, 56) = 14.72, p < 0.001, η² = 0.34), with the experimental group showing greater improvements compared to the control group. Similarly, emotional expressiveness demonstrated a significant group-by-time interaction (F(2, 56) = 17.59, p < 0.001, η² = 0.38), with post-hoc comparisons revealing that the experimental group had significantly higher scores at both posttest and follow-up phases. All assumptions for repeated measures ANOVA were confirmed prior to analysis. Conclusion: The findings suggest that premarital education based on the Interpersonal Awareness and Choice Method is an effective intervention for promoting emotional expressiveness and marital stability among engaged individuals. These results highlight the value of incorporating structured emotional and interpersonal training into premarital counseling services to support relationship resilience and long-term satisfaction. Keywords: Premarital education, interpersonal awareness, emotional expressiveness, marital stability.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychological abnormalities and emotional interactions with emotional divorce, with the mediating role of religious beliefs in couples experiencing marital conflicts. Methods: The research method was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population of this study included all couples visiting counseling centers in the city of Neka (Neda-e-Zendegi Counseling Center, Phoenix Counseling Center, Amin Counseling Center, Imam Ali Social Work Counseling Center, and Mental Health Counseling Center) during the first six months of 2022, totaling 686 individuals (343 couples). Using the Krejcie and Morgan table, the sample size was calculated to be 246 individuals, and through a convenience sampling method, those who were interested in participating in the study were selected as the sample. They responded to questionnaires on psychological abnormalities by Najarian and Davoodi (2001), emotional interactions of couples by Brok and Bretman (1995), emotional divorce by Gottman (1995), and religious beliefs by Najafi (2006). Data analysis was performed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Pearson correlation test, and structural equation modeling with SPSS and AMOS software. Findings: The findings showed that psychological abnormalities had a positive effect on emotional divorce and a negative effect on religious beliefs. Additionally, emotional interactions had a negative effect on emotional divorce and a positive effect on religious beliefs. Furthermore, religious beliefs had a negative effect on emotional divorce in couples. On the other hand, the results indicated that religious beliefs played a mediating role in the relationship between psychological abnormalities, emotional interactions, and emotional divorce in couples. Conclusion: This study highlights the indirect effect of psychological disorders and emotional interactions on emotional divorce, with religious beliefs playing a mediating role among couples experiencing marital conflicts. The findings suggest that strengthening religious beliefs may help reduce emotional divorce, emphasizing the need for interventions that promote emotional well-being and healthy marital dynamics.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the predictive roles of parental anxiety and parental criticism on child internalizing symptoms in a South African sample. Methods: The research employed a correlational descriptive design with a sample of 470 parents of children aged 6 to 12 years, selected based on the Morgan and Krejcie sample size table. Participants were recruited from various regions of South Africa. Standardized instruments were used, including the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for child internalizing symptoms, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) for parental anxiety, and the Perceived Criticism Measure (PCM) for parental criticism. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, applying Pearson correlation coefficients to examine the relationships between variables and multiple linear regression to determine the predictive power of parental anxiety and criticism on child internalizing symptoms. Findings: Pearson correlation analysis showed significant positive relationships between child internalizing symptoms and both parental anxiety (r = .61, p < .01) and parental criticism (r = .53, p < .01). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that both parental anxiety (β = .49, t = 12.67, p < .001) and parental criticism (β = .33, t = 8.82, p < .001) significantly predicted child internalizing symptoms. The overall model was statistically significant (F(2, 467) = 183.19, p < .001), with an R² of .44, indicating that 44% of the variance in child internalizing symptoms was explained by the two predictors. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that higher levels of parental anxiety and criticism are associated with increased internalizing symptoms in children. These results highlight the importance of addressing both emotional and behavioral aspects of parenting in preventive and therapeutic interventions aimed at supporting child mental health.

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of happiness training based on Lyubomirsky’s model in reducing negative emotions and enhancing cognitive flexibility in this population. Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental design using a pretest-posttest control group format. The statistical population included mothers of children with autism who attended the "Golhaye Beheshti" Center in Qom during spring 2024. A total of 30 participants were selected through simple random sampling and assigned to either the experimental or control group. The experimental group participated in eight 90-minute sessions of happiness training. The research instruments included the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Cognitive Flexibility Scale developed by Dennis and Vander Wal (2009). Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Findings: The results indicated that Lyubomirsky’s happiness training significantly reduced depression, anxiety, and stress levels while significantly increasing cognitive flexibility in the experimental group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Happiness-based intervention can serve as an effective strategy for promoting the mental health of mothers of children with autism by alleviating negative emotions and strengthening their cognitive capacities. Keywords: Happiness training, depression, anxiety, stress, cognitive flexibility, mothers, autism spectrum disorder.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the mediating role of family cohesion in the relationship between family economic hardship and adolescent risk-taking. Methods and Materials: A descriptive correlational research design was employed with a sample of 520 adolescents recruited from secondary schools in India, determined through Morgan and Krejcie’s sample size table. Data were collected using standardized self-report instruments: the Adolescent Risk-Taking Questionnaire (ARQ), the Economic Hardship Questionnaire (EHQ), and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES IV). Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS-27 and AMOS-21. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to determine associations among variables, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was performed to test the hypothesized mediation model. Model fit was evaluated using Chi-square, χ²/df, GFI, AGFI, CFI, TLI, and RMSEA indices. Findings: Results indicated that family economic hardship was positively correlated with adolescent risk-taking (r = .42, p = .001) and negatively correlated with family cohesion (r = −.40, p = .001). Family cohesion was inversely related to adolescent risk-taking (r = −.36, p = .002). The SEM analysis demonstrated adequate model fit (χ²/df = 2.17, GFI = .93, AGFI = .90, CFI = .95, TLI = .94, RMSEA = .048). Direct paths showed that family economic hardship significantly predicted adolescent risk-taking (β = .38, p = .001) and negatively predicted family cohesion (β = −.41, p = .001). Family cohesion negatively predicted adolescent risk-taking (β = −.29, p = .002). The indirect effect of economic hardship on risk-taking via cohesion was significant (β = .12, p = .006), supporting the mediation hypothesis. Conclusion: Findings highlight that family cohesion partially mediates the link between economic hardship and adolescent risk-taking. Strengthening family cohesion may buffer adolescents from the adverse effects of financial strain and serve as a practical target for interventions aimed at reducing risk behaviors.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Gottman couple therapy and cognitive-behavioral couple therapy in improving marital satisfaction among married students at Islamic Azad University, Hamedan Branch. Methods: The study utilized a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group. A total of 45 married students were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned into three groups: Gottman couple therapy (n = 15), cognitive-behavioral couple therapy (n = 15), and a control group (n = 15). The intervention groups received 10 sessions of Gottman couple therapy or 8 sessions of cognitive-behavioral couple therapy, while the control group received no intervention. The ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire (47-item short form) was used to assess marital satisfaction before and after the interventions. Data were analyzed using SPSS-24 software, employing multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare the effects of the interventions. Findings: The results indicated that both Gottman couple therapy and cognitive-behavioral couple therapy significantly improved marital satisfaction compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The effect size analysis revealed that Gottman couple therapy had a greater impact (η² = 0.789) compared to cognitive-behavioral couple therapy (η² = 0.721), particularly in areas related to emotional communication, conflict management, and decision-making. However, the ANOVA results showed no statistically significant difference between the two intervention groups (p > 0.05), indicating that both approaches were similarly effective in enhancing marital satisfaction. Conclusion: Both Gottman couple therapy and cognitive-behavioral couple therapy were effective in increasing marital satisfaction among married students, with Gottman couple therapy demonstrating a slightly greater impact. Given the shared principles of these approaches, future research should explore the potential benefits of integrating them to create a more comprehensive intervention for couples.