Self-Destruction

The aim of the present study was to compare self-destructiveness, fear of failure, and the big five personality traits in adolescent boys in divorced and normal families, employing a causal-comparative method. Ninety boys (of divorced and normal families, 45 in each group) were selected through purposeful sampling method for teenagers from divorced families and random sampling for teenagers from normal families. All of which were 15 to18 year-old boys studying in the second grade of high school in Karaj. To collect the data, Chronic self-destructiveness Scale (CSDS), Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory (PFAI) and NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) were run, and Multivariate analysis of variance test was used for analysis of data. Results showed that chronic self-destructiveness (F=94/64, p ≤ .001), inconsideration and  lack of commitment (F=28/818, p ≤ .001), neglect (F=160/60, p ≤ .001), risk taking (F=43/543, p ≤ .001), stupefaction (F=52/933, p ≤ .001), fear of failure (F=1238/00, p ≤ .001), fear of experiencing shame and embarrassment (F= 1035 / 45 , p ≤ .001), fear of devaluing one's self-esteem (F = 1600 / 64 , p ≤ .001), fear of having an uncertain future (F = 1507 / 61 , p ≤ .001 ) ), fear of losing interest from important others (F= 69 / 872 , p ≤ .001) and neuroticism (F = 94 / 2202 , p ≤ .001) were higher in adolescent boys with divorced families than normal ones. In other dimensions of the big five, extraversion (F= 1719 / 52, p ≤ .001), openness to experience (F = 47 / 12, p ≤ .001), agreeableness (F = 3032 / 96, p ≤ .001), and conscientiousness (F= 1788 / 59, p ≤ .001), the mean scores in adolescent boys with normal families were higher than the ones from divorced. The negative experiences, the absence of a caring parent, and the lack of a sense of security in divorced families can be the reasons behind the higher rate of self-destructiveness and fear of success in adolescents from divorced families.  

Methods: The present study was semi-independent in terms of its purpose, application, and research method. It utilized a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group. Among the addicts referred to the Paris addiction treatment center in Tehran in 1400, 45 individuals were randomly selected through a lottery and assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. The first experimental group received 8 sessions of reality therapy combined with compassion-based therapy, while the second experimental group received 8 sessions of reality therapy alone. The control group did not receive any intervention. Data collection involved the use of Antonoski's Psychological Coherence Scale (1993) in its short form, Sanson et al.'s Self-Destruction Questionnaire (1998), and Smets et al.'s Fatigue Questionnaire (1996). Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 24 software and repeated measurements analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results: The results of the research demonstrated that both compassion-based therapy and reality therapy significantly contributed to the improvement of psychological coherence, reduction of self-destruction behaviors, and alleviation of fatigue in substance abusers. In other words, individuals who participated in either compassion-based therapy or reality therapy experienced increased psychological coherence and decreased tendencies towards self-harm and fatigue. However, no significant difference was found between the two therapy groups in terms of their impact on the studied variables.