مطالب

Objective: This study aimed to examine the impact of mindfulness training on experiential avoidance, self-compassion, and certain physiological indices in women diagnosed with breast cancer. Method: This applied research was conducted as a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test, and control group design. The population included all women with stage 1 and 2 breast cancer who were under medical care after completing chemotherapy or radiotherapy at Shahid Tajrish Hospital in 2020-2021. A convenience sampling method was used to select 40 female breast cancer patients, who were equally divided into an experimental group (20 participants) and a control group (20 participants). Data were collected using the Neff's Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003), the Bond et al.'s Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (2011), and physiological indices. Mindfulness training, based on the protocol by Lengacher et al. (2019), consisted of 8 sessions of 90 minutes each for the experimental group, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using covariance analysis. Findings: The results indicated that mindfulness training significantly increased self-compassion (F = 6.35, p < .05) and decreased experiential avoidance (F = 4.75, p < .05) in women with breast cancer. Additionally, the training significantly reduced cortisol levels (F = 7.38, p < .05), but did not have a significant effect on the concentrations of IL-6 (F = 0.83, p > .05) and CRP (F = 0.04, p > .05). Conclusion: Considering the current findings, it can be said that mindfulness training is effective in improving the psychological condition and reducing stress in women with breast cancer.

Objective: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational program based on the threats and opportunities of remote work for dual-career couples during the COVID-19 pandemic on work-family conflict and its dimensions. Method: This was a quantitative, applied research employing a quasi-experimental design, utilizing a pre-test/post-test with a control group. The sample consisted of dual-career couples from Kerman city who sought counseling for various reasons. Collaboration was negotiated with a private counseling center, and agreements were made. Couples scoring above the cutoff on the prepared questionnaires were purposively selected, resulting in 20 couples who were then randomly assigned to either the experimental group (10 couples) or the control group (10 couples). The experimental group underwent the educational program while the control group received no training. The data collection instrument was the work-family conflict questionnaire by Carlson et al. (2000). Data in the quantitative section were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance with the help of SPSS software. Findings: Given that the computed F-value for the effect of groups on work-family conflict and its dimensions was statistically significant at the 5% level (p < .05), it can be concluded that there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups after the intervention, and the intervention significantly impacted work-family conflict and its dimensions. The Benferroni post-hoc test indicated that the effects of the educational program based on opportunities and threats of remote work on work-family conflict and its dimensions showed suitable stability during the follow-up phase. Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that the educational package derived from the lived experiences of dual-career couples during the quarantine period of the COVID-19 outbreak was effective on the dimensions of work-family conflict among couples, and this effect was also stable in the follow-up phase.

Objective: The present research aimed to study the lived experience of mothers on the verge of separation and to explore the phenomenon of separation and divorce from their perspective. Method: It was a qualitative study with a phenomenological method among mothers on the verge of separation in Isfahan city. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection in this research. Participants included 15 mothers on the verge of separation in Isfahan city in the year 2021, using purposive sampling, and the operations of data collection and analysis were conducted simultaneously. Findings: According to the analysis and the extracted main and sub-categories, the story of mothers on the verge of separation can be narrated within 5 overarching themes. The results of this research, from among 180 thematic sentences from the statements of mothers on the verge of separation about their experiences, eventually classified 5 overarching themes and 15 organizing themes that form the network of themes. The overarching and organizing themes in this research include communication problems (relationships with children, relationships with spouses), parenting (children's financial problems, defective parenting style, child management), emotional and behavioral (emotional and behavioral problems of parents, emotional and behavioral problems of children), psychological, social, and economic support (family, lack of counseling, economic) and exacerbating factors (extramarital affairs, addiction, previous divorce experience, mental disorders, sexual dysfunction). Conclusions: The results showed that mothers on the verge of separation experience emotions that can affect their well-being and mental health. The findings highlight the necessity for psychologists and social workers to deeply understand the lived experiences of these individuals and to offer therapeutic interventions based on the themes emerged from the current study, focusing on improving their emotional state.

Since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the United States of America, in accordance with its interests, has adopted extensive aggressive approaches and strategies against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Analyzing the characteristics of hybrid warfare and comparing them with the concrete and practical actions of the United States since the beginning of the third millennium reveals the intelligent use of hybrid warfare by this country against the Islamic Republic of Iran. This study aims to answer the question: what is America's objective in hybrid warfare against the Islamic Republic of Iran? This study utilizes a descriptive-analytical method, documentary and library studies, as well as questionnaires and interviews with university professors and polit-ical and cultural elite. The findings indicate that the United States' strategy towards the Islamic Republic of Iran since the 1979 Revolution has been pursued at three levels: "containment," "behavior change," and "structure change," each implemented through both soft and hard ap-proaches. Although the United States, at certain times, has managed tensions with the aim of maximizing its own interests, avoiding immediate attribution of the overthrow or collapse of the Islamic Republic of Iran to itself, an examination of its step-by-step strategies shows that the country has aimed, through multi-layered strategies and comprehensive containment, to change the behavior of the people and rulers and alter the value and civic structures of the Islamic Re-public of Iran, thus putting the country in a strategic bind and expanding the groundwork for internal collapse through intensified comprehensive pressures.

The Corruption Perceptions Index, a critical international index based on public opinion sur-veys, reflects the level of corruption in countries. It emphasizes the perceptions and views of experts and elites regarding the extent of bribery and embezzlement among decision-makers and policymakers. Economic corruption poses a significant obstacle to economic growth and development, leading to social ethics issues, increased poverty and injustice, and reduced gov-ernance legitimacy and efficiency. This study, employing a descriptive-analytical method and a deductive approach based on the theoretical framework of good governance, aims to answer the main and subsidiary question: what is the relationship between human development indi-ces and economic corruption in Iran from 2013 to 2021? And what is the correlation between economic corruption and human development indices? The varying levels of economic corrup-tion in Iran during this period have significantly impacted the human development indices in society, and these impacts have evolved. Despite substantial efforts to control economic cor-ruption through modern information technologies, the Corruption Perceptions Index has seen a decline of six ranks during this period. Furthermore, economic corruption and human devel-opment indices typically exhibit an inverse and often negative correlation. This research delves into the relationship between human development indices and societal and economic corruption, providing empirical evidence of their impact and relationship.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on negative automatic thoughts and negative affect in depressed women. Methods: The design of this study was applied and quasi-experimental, featuring pre-test and post-test stages with two experimental groups and one control group, followed by a two-month follow-up period. The study population included all women diagnosed with depression who visited a private counseling center in Tehran in 2023. A convenience sample of 30 participants was randomly assigned equally to the two experimental groups and one control group. The Watson and Tellegen (1985) Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and the Hollon and Kendall (1980) Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ) were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS-26 software, applying three-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni post hoc tests. Findings: Results indicate significant differences between pre-test and post-test scores for both therapies in terms of negative affect and negative automatic thoughts (p < .01), demonstrating the significant efficacy of both treatment modalities. No significant differences were found between post-test and follow-up scores (p > .05). Analysis using the Bonferroni test shows no significant difference in the efficacy of the two approaches on problem-solving components (p > .05). Conclusion: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that both Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy are effective in reducing negative affect and negative automatic thoughts in depressed women, with no significant difference in the effectiveness of these therapeutic approaches.

Objective: The present study aimed to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a family mediation intervention model on self-esteem, negative mood, and social anxiety in children of divorce. Methods: The method of this study was quasi-experimental, employing a pre-test and post-test design. The statistical population consisted of all children of divorced parents in Alborz Province, who had legal cases filed in the judiciary of this province. The research sample included 30 children, randomly assigned to two experimental groups (15 in each group), selected through convenience sampling. The children completed the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and the Maria Kovacs Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI). Findings: The results of multivariate covariance analysis (Wilks' Lambda = 0.45, F = 9.46, P < 0.001) indicated that the family mediation intervention model, based on co-parenting, was effective in reducing negative mood (F = 7.03, P < 0.01), negative self-esteem (F = 15.87, P < 0.01), and social anxiety (F = 7.07, P < 0.01). Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, the family mediation training program, grounded in co-parenting, can be considered a useful educational method alongside other support programs for children of divorce.