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Objective: This study aims to compare the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on affective control in pregnant women. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 45 pregnant women from Ilam, Iran, who were randomly assigned to one of three groups: MBSR, ACT, or control. Participants in the experimental groups underwent 8 weekly group sessions of either MBSR or ACT, while the control group received no intervention. Affective control was measured using the Affective Control Scale, which includes subscales for anger, anxiety, depression, and positive affect. Pre-test and post-test assessments were administered to all groups, and data were analyzed using ANCOVA to compare the effects of the interventions across groups. Findings: The results indicated significant improvements in affective control for both MBSR and ACT groups compared to the control group. The ANCOVA showed significant effects for both MBSR and ACT in reducing anxiety, improving positive affect, and regulating anger, with no significant difference between the two experimental groups. The control group showed no significant changes in any of the emotional regulation variables. Both experimental groups demonstrated a large effect size for affective control (η² = 0.53), with smaller but significant effects on anxiety and positive affect (η² = 0.19 and η² = 0.17, respectively). Conclusion: Both MBSR and ACT were effective in improving affective control and emotional regulation in pregnant women, with similar outcomes for both interventions. These findings suggest that both therapies could be useful tools for managing stress and enhancing emotional well-being during pregnancy.

In our special issue dedicated to Women Studies, I explore various dimensions of women's experiences and contributions across multiple domains. One of the most transformative areas where women have made a significant impact is in the field of family therapy. This article explores "Women’s Advocacy for Social Change through Family Therapy" as a prime example of how feminist principles can drive both individual empowerment and broader societal transformation. The intersection of feminism and family therapy has made significant strides in advocating for women’s rights and promoting social change. By addressing gender inequality, empowering women, and fostering social justice, feminist-informed family therapy has become a powerful tool for transformation. As we celebrate the contributions of women in this field, it is crucial to continue supporting and advancing feminist principles in family therapy practice, research, and training. Through collective efforts and continued advocacy, feminist family therapy stands as a powerful force for social change.

Objective: The current research was conducted with the aim of studying and investigating the role of tests and tools in the accurate diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders. Methods: A total of 83 children (56 boys and 27 girls) diagnosed with autism or one of the comorbid diagnoses were selected and underwent the GARS-3 scale and the Psycho-Educational Profile Revised (PEP-3) diagnostic test. Additionally, parents were asked to complete a checklist provided by the researcher. The age range of the individuals with autism was between 2 and 7 years, with an average age of 6.5 years. Findings: The results of the statistical analyses of the data from this study indicated a significant role of diagnosis tools. Conclusion: So, the proper and timely use of diagnostic tests plays a significant role in the accurate diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders and also in determining the severity of these disorders.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of paradoxical couple therapy on self-differentiation, communication beliefs, and marital intimacy in couples experiencing marital conflict. Method: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up, using a control group. The statistical population consisted of all couples with marital conflict in Tehran in 2023. Fourteen couples experiencing marital conflict were selected using a non-random, purposive sampling method, and then, through random assignment, 7 couples were assigned to the experimental group and 7 couples to the control group. The experimental group participated in 8 sessions of paradoxical couple therapy, and after dropouts, 6 participants successfully completed the therapy. The control group received no intervention. To match the number of participants, couples were randomly excluded from the control group to account for dropouts in the experimental group. The study utilized questionnaires measuring self-differentiation, communication beliefs, and marital intimacy. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and SPSS 22 software. Findings: The findings indicated that there was a significant difference between the post-test mean scores of the experimental and control groups. Paradoxical couple therapy significantly improved self-differentiation (F = 4.93, p = 0.035) and marital intimacy (F = 41.16, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, interventions based on the paradoxical approach can effectively improve self-differentiation, communication beliefs, and marital intimacy.

Aim: This study qualitatively examines the representation of long-distance relationships on Instagram, analyzing how these relationships are portrayed through posts and captions.Method: Using a qualitative approach and Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis method, a total of 740 Instagram posts related to long-distance relationships were initially identified. These posts were collected through a snowball sampling method using specific hashtags. Following a systematic screening process, promotional, non-personal, and irrelevant posts were excluded to focus on real-life experiences, resulting in a final dataset of 182 posts. Selection criteria required posts to contain images of individuals or handwritten messages in Persian, explicitly related to long-distance relationships. The selected images and captions were carefully analyzed and coded.Results: The thematic analysis identified four main themes: (1) Expression of Love and Affection, (2) Planning for the Future, (3) Capturing Special Moments in Long-Distance Relationships, and (4) Waiting and Longing. Findings indicate that Instagram serves as an effective tool for maintaining and strengthening long-distance relationships. Users actively utilize this platform to express emotions, cope with longing, and plan future reunions.Conclusion: This study emphasizes the role of social media, particularly Instagram, in shaping and understanding long-distance relationships. The research specifically identifies relationship patterns within a Persian-language digital context and can be compared with studies conducted in other languages to provide a broader understanding of digital media’s influence. The findings offer valuable insights for psychologists, family counselors, and social science researchers, providing strategies to enhance emotional communication in long-distance relationships.

Objective: This study aims to compare the effectiveness of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) enriched with compassion in altering dysfunctional communication beliefs among women seeking divorce. Methods: Statistical population of this study consisted of all women seeking divorce in District 4 of Tehran city in the year 2021, who were selected from counseling centers supervised by the Organization of Psychology and Welfare through convenience sampling. Next, Eidelson and Epstein’s (1982) Communication Beliefs Questionnaires were distributed for completion, and 45 individuals who scored high on these scales were selected as the sample and randomly placed into two experimental groups and one control group (each group consisting of 15 individuals). For data analysis, descriptive statistical methods (frequency indices, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (multivariate repeated measures analysis of variance) using SPSS-24 were employed. Findings: Results indicated no significant difference between the ISTDP and ACT enriched with compassion in altering dysfunctional communication beliefs. Both groups showed improvement compared to the control group, but no significant difference was noted between the two in terms of effectiveness. Conclusion: Both ISTDP and ACT enriched with compassion are effective in reducing dysfunctional communication beliefs among women seeking divorce, with no significant difference in effectiveness between the two. This suggests that both therapeutic approaches can be beneficial in this context. Future research should consider broader and more diverse samples, longer follow-up periods, and comparisons to active control groups to further understand the sustained impact and efficacy of these therapies.

Objective: The present study aimed to predict attitudes toward marital infidelity in couples based on attachment styles and personality traits with the mediation of coping strategies (gender comparison). Methods: The research method was correlational and used structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all married women and men aged 25 to 45 in Tehran. A sample of 420 individuals, comprising 210 women and 210 men, was selected through convenience sampling. Research data were collected using the Whately Marital Infidelity Attitude Questionnaire (2006), the Collins and Read Attachment Styles Questionnaire (1994), the Cattell 16 Personality Factor Test (1973), and the Lazarus-Folkman Coping Strategies Questionnaire (1988). Relationships between variables were assessed using Pearson's correlation test, and the research model was evaluated using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) structural equation modeling technique. The mediation role was also assessed using the bootstrapping method in Smart PLS software. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 27 and Smart PLS version 3. Findings: The research findings indicated that in the female sample, risk-taking as a personality trait could predict marital infidelity (p < .05). In the male sample, the conscientiousness personality trait directly predicted marital infidelity, while insecure attachment predicted marital infidelity both directly and indirectly through the avoidant-escape coping style (p < .05). Conclusion: The results showed that insecure attachment influences the tendency toward marital infidelity in the male group. Additionally, the conscientiousness factor influences the tendency toward marital infidelity in the male group, and the avoidance and escape strategies influence the tendency toward marital infidelity in the male group. The results also demonstrated that secure attachment negatively impacts the problem-solving coping strategy in the female group. Secure attachment negatively impacts the avoidant-escape strategy in the female group but positively impacts it in the male group. Insecure attachment positively impacts the avoidant-escape strategy in both the female and male groups. The conscientiousness factor positively impacts the problem-solving coping strategy in the female group. Moreover, sociability positively impacts the avoidant-escape strategy in the male group, while emotional stability negatively impacts the avoidant-escape strategy in the overall and male groups. Risk-taking negatively impacts the avoidant-escape strategy in the overall and male groups. These results showed no relationship between insecure attachment and the tendency toward marital infidelity in women.