مجله روانپزشکی و روانشناسی بالینی ایران
سال شانزدهم شماره 1 (پیاپی 60، بهار 1389)

Clinical and neuropsychological evidence indicate that patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder might have difficulty in early stages of processing visual global-local stimuli. This study was carried out to compare global-local visual processing and its cerebral lateralization among patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and normal controls.

The present study is a causal-comparative study. 18 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and 18 normal individuals, matched together in terms of age, sex, education and marital status took part in the study. Participants completed a com-puterized global-local task, the Beck Depression Inventory and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Data were analyzed using a mixed analysis of variance with a repeated measures design.

Results indicated that patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder are generally faster in local processing than global processing and have a relative deficit in global processing in the right hemisphere.

relative deficit in global processing in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder indicate a deficit in early stages of information processing and suggests the possibility of a right hemisphere dysfunction.

The present study was carried out with the aim of assessing the psychometric properties of “Neuro-psychiatry Unit Cognitive Assessment Tool” (NUCOG) in patients with dementia.

In a descriptive-analytical study, patients presenting to Noor Hospital Neuropsychiatric Clinic and the Neurology Department of Ayatollah Kashani Hospital in Isfahan in autumn 2008 were evaluated and 33 individuals with dementia were selected using convenience sampling. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and NUCOG were administered to the patients. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, Chi2 test, and Cronbach’s alpha.

Content validity of NUCOG was confirmed. The internal consistency of the NUCOG by Cronbach's alpha was 0.919. The convergent validity of the MMSE and the NUCOG was 0.922 (p<0.001). There was no significant correlation between age and education, and NUCOG total scores.

The Persian version of the NUCOG is a valid and reliable tool for screening patients with dementia in clinical psychiatric settings.

The aim of the present study was to assess early maladaptive schemas in marital relationship as a predictor of divorce.

The sample included 150 divorce applicant couples and 155 ordinary couples (305 couples in total). Divorce applicants were selected from court clients using convenience sampling, and the normal group was selected using random multi-staged sampling from a number of high schools in the city of Isfahan. All sample couples were tested using Early Maladaptive Schema Scale (EMSs). For data analysis, discriminate analysis was used in addition to descriptive statistics method.

The schemas of mistrust-abuse, unrelenting standards and emotional inhibition with standard correlations of 0.67, 0.57 and 0.57 respectively, had the highest predicting power. From among demographic factors, only education and income had a significant predictive power for divorce (p<0.001).

Divorce could be predicted based on early maladaptive schemas. Also, a model of divorce prevention and marital therapy based on the schematic therapeutic approach can be developed. In addition, the results of this research can be applied in clinical and counseling environments to help problematic couples and couples on the threshold of divorce.

The goal of the present study was to determine the prediction model of social phobia by investigating a number of its predictors. In this study shyness, behavioral inhibition, attentional bias, interpretation bias, social self-efficacy and attachment were assessed as predictors of social phobia.

438 students of Tehran University participated in this study. All participants completed Social Phobia Inventory, Stanford Shyness Survey, Adult Measure of Behavioral Inhibition, Retrospective Measure of Behavioral Inhibition, Focus of Attention Questionnaire, Consequences of Negative Social Events Questionnaire, Self-efficacy for Social Situation Scale and Adult Attachment Scale.

All variables were significantly correlated with social phobia (p<0.001). Stepwise multiple regression analysis suggested a predictive model for social anxiety including shyness, ambivalent attachment, avoidant attachment, adult behavioral inhibition, retrospective behavioral inhibition, social self-efficacy, negative self-evaluation and negative evaluation by others.

Except for attentional bias and secure attachment which cannot predict social phobia, the other studied variables (shyness, social inhibition, interpretation bias, and social self-efficacy) can predict social phobia.

The aim of the study was to develop, validate, and determine the factor structure of a questionnaire for assessing students’ connection to school.

By using literature review and experts opinion a questionnaire comprising 21 questions was developed. 1204 students were chosen through multiple steps random sampling (levels proportional to size) from different regions of Tehran and completed the questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS and LISREL software's and through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, principle component analysis, promax rotation, confirmation factor analysis, fitness indexes, and Cronbach’s alpha.

Principle component analysis revealed that School Connection Questionnaire (SCQ) consists of four factors: belonging, engagement, commitment, and peer relation. However, according to confirmatory factor analysis, the fourth factor could not be confirmed with the data. Cronbach’s alphas were 0.84, 0.83, 0.81, 0.58, and 0.50 for all parts of the questionnaire, belonging, engagement, commitment, and peer relation respectively.

SCQ could be used as a valid instrument for assessing emotions, evaluations and the behavioral pattern of students toward school.

The goal of the present study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Persian version of Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) in the elderly population.

250 normal elderly individuals and 100 elderly individuals with Alzheimer’s dementia, aged between 60 and 80 who were selected using stratified-randomized sampling, were evaluated using Mini-Mental State Examination, RAVLT, and DSM-IV diagnostic criteria.

In determining convergent validity, a positive significant correlation was revealed between the four parts of RAVLT (sum, immediate and delayed recall and recognition) and the logical sub test of Wechsler Memory Scale (p< 0.001, r= 0.346). By comparing the test scores between the normal and Alzheimer’s group, discriminant validity analysis showed significant difference of their data in all parts of the test (p< 0.001). Roc curve exhibited a sensitivity of more than 89% and a specificity higher than 81% (p<0.001), and the cut-off points of 2.5 to 6.5 were determined with U-Dense formula for different parts of the test.

The Persian version of the RAVLT has good validity and reliability. Also, based on the determined cut-off points, it can be used to evaluate and interpret the situation of short term memory and learning performance in the elderly, and for the identification of individuals with Alzheimer’s dementia.

The present study was carried out in order to validate the Persian version of Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale (BADS) the students population.

370 students of Tehran and Meshed’s (in North-East of Tehran) Ferdowsi Universities completed BADS and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess validity. Also, Pearson correlation test was used for concurrent validity within BADS and DASS subscales.

Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the fitness of structural factor of BADS. Furthermore, a negative significant correlation with the activation subscale and a positive significant correlation of avoidance/mental rumination, education/job deterioration, and social harm with depression, anxiety and stress subscales was found, which indicates a favorable concurrent validity for this scale.

This study confirmed the four-factors twenty five-items structure of BADS. The four factors of this scale (i.e. Activation, Avoidant/ Rumination, Work/ School Impairment and Social Impairment) were confirmed.

Thought fusion is an important psychological construct of metacognitive model related to obsessive-compulsive disorder. In the present study the psychometric characteristics of “Thought Fusion Instrument” (TFI) was assessed in Students of Isfahan University.

After translating the original version, the final form of TFI was administered to 130 undergraduate students of Isfahan University. To examine the reliability of the TFI, methods of internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha and split-half coefficient) were used, and validity was assessed using convergent validity, discrimination validity and factor analysis.

Internal consistency indicated the alpha coefficients to be 0.87, 0.77, 0.82, 0.80, and 0.73 for the total, first, second, and third factors and split-half coefficient respectively. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) for assessing diagnostic validity between the patient and the normal group indicated that the two groups have significant difference (p<0.001) regarding the total factor and its subsets. The correlation coefficient of TFI with Thought-Action Fusion was 0.65. The results of factor analysis using varimax rotation showed three factors: 1. Thought action fusion, 2. Thought object fusion, 3. Thought event fusion.

TFI has satisfactory reliability and validity in Iranian sample and can be used for diagnosis and treatment.