Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Volume:8 Issue: 3, Sep 2017

Today multinational studies using genome-wide association scan (GWAS) for >1000,000 polymorphisms on >100,000 cases with major psychiatric diseases versus controls, combined with next-generation sequencing have found ~100 genetic polymorphisms associated with schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), autism, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), etc. However, the effect size of each genetic mutation has been generally low (<1%), and altogether could portray a tiny fraction of these mental diseases. Furthermore, none of these polymorphisms was specific to disease phenotypes indicating that they are simply genetic risk factors rather than causal mutations. The lack of identification of the major gene(s) in huge genetic studies increased the tendency for reexamining the roles of environmental factors in psychiatric and other complex diseases. However, this time at cellular/molecular levels mediated by epigenetic mechanisms that are heritable, but reversible while interacting with the environment. Now, gene-specific or whole-genome epigenetic analyses have introduced hundreds of aberrant epigenetic marks in the blood or brain of individuals with psychiatric diseases that include aberrations in DNA methylation, histone modifications and microRNA expression. Interestingly, most of the current psychiatric drugs such as valproate, lithium, antidepressants, antipsychotics and even electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) modulate epigenetic codes. The existing data indicate that, the impacts of environment/nurture, including the uterine milieu and early-life events might be more significant than genetic/nature in most psychiatric diseases. The lack of significant results in large-scale genetic studies led to revise the bolded roles of genetics and now we are at the turning point of genomics for reconsidering environmental factors that through epigenetic mechanisms may impact the brain development/functions causing disease phenotypes.

Mental disorders are more common among the chemically injured veterans rather the than the normal population. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of mustard gas (MG) on mental health and quality-of-life (QOL) in the people exposed to it based on reviewing valid published articles. We searched English databases including Medline, ISI and Scopus as well as Farsi databases including Iranmedex and Irandoc and reviewed them. The used keywords were in two English and Farsi languages. Forty related full texts out of more than 300 articles were assessed and for their qualification, only the publications in accredited journals were considered sufficient. The average mental health score of victims using the general health questionnaire (GHQ) was 48.92. The frequency of anxiety was (18-65%), insomnia (13.63%), social performance disturbances (10.73%), severe depression (6-46%), low concentration (54%), emotional problems (98%), behavioral abnormalities (80%), thought processing disturbances (14%), memory impairment (80%), personality disorders (31%), seizures (6%), psychosis (3%). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common and important disorders with lifetime PTSD (8-59%), current PTSD (2-33%) and the QOL in chemical warfare victims decreased. Exposure to chemical weapons may lead to physical, mental, social, and economic damages and consequently decrease the victims’ (QOL. Therefore, they should be taken into more care.

Violence during pregnancy has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed to explore the link between psychological violence (PSV) and pregnancy outcomes in terms of maternal and birth for the first time in women attending Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (MUMS) primary health centers (PHCs) in Iran. Prospective cohort of 1461 pregnant women exposed and non-exposed to PSV was followed until the pregnancy outcome. Modified Intimate Partner Violence, demographic and pregnancy outcomes questionnaires were administered face-to-face. Logistic regression analysis was down to estimate independent effects of the PSV on pregnancy outcomes. More than half of the women (69.9%) reported PSV during pregnancy. The differences between the two groups in reference with pregnancy complication did not reach statistical significance. Premature rapture of membrane was the only outcome that was independently associated with PSV. PSV in pregnancy was frequent in our study. Although the lack of adverse pregnancy outcome following PSV was observed in this study, intervention is required to prevent the effect of violence on women and child health.

The aim was to determine how personality of major depressive disorder (MDD) patients is different from that of bipolar II disorder (BIID) patients. In this cross-sectional study, two groups of patients with MDD (47 patients) and BIID (45 patients) between 18 and 55 years old were included and compared. The research instrument that subjects answered to was Temperament and Characteristic Inventory-125-R. Among temperament dimensions, novelty seeking, and reward-dependently in contrast with other traits such as harm avoidance and persistence showed a significant difference between the two studied groups. Among characteristic dimensions, self-direction and self-transcendence demonstrated a significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.005). Patients suffering from BIID are sensation seeker and are motivated by stimulates more often than MDD patients are. They feel euphoria more and, find the world more stimulating.

The present study aimed to investigate the metacognitive model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), through a comparative study of thought fusion beliefs and thought control strategies between patients with OCD, depression, and normal people. This is a causal-comparative study. About 20 patients were selected with OCD, and 20 patients with major depression disorder (MDD), and 20 normal individuals. Participants completed a thought fusion instrument and thought control questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance. Results indicated that patients with OCD obtained higher scores than two other groups. Also, there was a statistical significant difference between the three groups in thought control strategies and punishment, worry, and distraction subscales. Therefore, the results of the present study supported the metacognitive model of obsessive and showed thought fusion beliefs and thought control strategies can be effective in onset and continuity of OCD.

The present study aimed to review the relationships between procrastination and two self-factors self-efficacy and self-esteem. Participants were 140 undergraduates Psychology students enrolled in Mohagheg Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran. Instruments used for collecting the required data were the student-version of the General Procrastination Scale (GP-S), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) and Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (SES). Using causal modeling, two models were compared; a model with self-esteem as a mediator versus a model with procrastination as a mediator. The self-esteem mediator model accounted for 21% of the variance in procrastination. The significance of the mediation effect was found by bootstrapping method. The relationship of procrastination with self-esteem and self-efficacy was revealed among undergraduate psychology students.

This study aimed to examine the effect of self-disclosure skill training on communication patterns of referred couples to counseling clinics in Bandar Abbas. The applied research design was an experimental study using pre-test and post-test, which was performed on a population of all referred couples to counseling clinics in Bandar Abbas who were interested to participate in a self-disclosure training workshop in response to the announcement. This study was performed on 26 couples who were selected by simple, convenient sampling method; however, they were randomly assigned to the control and experiment groups. A pre-test was administrated before self-disclosure training. The applied instrument includes Christensen and Salavy’s scale of communication patterns. Participants in the experiment group had six sessions of training workshop, each lasted for 90 min. After the intervention, both groups answered the questionnaire again. The collected data were analyzed with paired t-test and covariance statistics. The results showed that the intervention led to significant (p < 0.05) increase in mutual constructive communication pattern and a reduction in mutual avoidance, demand/withdraw, demanding man/withdrawing woman communication patterns. It was also found that the training was not effective on the communication pattern of demanding woman/withdrawing man. The training of simple, but important skills of self-disclosure can help couples to improve their communication and consequently improve their marital satisfaction.

The present study aimed to investigate the differences regarding spiritual development dimensions and death attitude profiles, and also to determinate association between them, in patients suffering from type II diabetes. In a cross-sectional design study, 100 female outpatients who were suffering from type II diabetes were recruited in Imam Khomeini Hospital, Sari, Iran. Data were collected through two questionnaires including the Spiritual Assessment Inventory (SAI) and the Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAPR). Analysis of the data involved analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with the Fisher''s Least Significant Difference (LSD) as post-hoc test plus the Pearson correlation. There was a statistical significant difference in spiritual development dimensions and death attitude profile. The results showed that spiritual development were significantly associated with some items of death attitude profiles. Awareness of God was suitable in diabetic patients, but the quality of relationship with God indicated spiritually immature. It is necessary to provide instruction to improve patient''s death attitude and following health behavior.

The objective of the present study is to investigate the relationship of perceived social selfefficacy (PSSE) with depression in students. The sample of the present study consisted of 216 adolescent students including 120 males and 96 females randomly selected from different educational institutes of Karachi, Pakistan. The age of the participants ranged from 16 to 19 years old, with the mean age of 17.09 ± 1.13 years. Personal information form, PSSE scale, and Siddiqui-Shah depression scale were administered on the adolescent students to check the following hypothesis; there would be a negative correlation between PSSE and depression in adolescents. Pearson product moment coefficient of correlation was applied to analyze the relationship between PSSE and level of depression in adolescent students. Findings of the study showed a significant negative correlation (r = −0.149, p < 0.05) between the variables of PSSE and depression. There is a relationship between PSSE and depression in adolescents.

The present study aimed to determine the effect of reminiscence on cognitive status and memory of a sample of elderly people who lived in aged day centers in Golestan province, Iran. This study was a semi-experimental research. The subjects consisted of 45 elderly people who referred to the aged day centers of Golestan province. Each four groups of 45 aged subjects (4 groups of 10-12 subjects) took part in 8 reminiscence sessions which lasted one to one and half hour. Cognitive status and of the aged, before and after taking part, was assessed by Mini Mental State Examination and Wechsler Memory Scale. Mean (±SD) cognitive status score at pre-test stage was 24 (±2) which increased to 25 (±2) at posttest stage (p < 0.01). Mean (±SD) intelligence quotient was 87 (±7) at pre-test stage which increased to 92 (±10) at post-test stage (p < 0.01). Reminiscence sessions held for the aged studied here had beneficial effects on cognition and memory of the subjects.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are reported to be associated with increased bleeding tendency. While findings of recent studies explain a lot about the pathophysiology of this side-effect, there is a general tendency to discontinue SSRIs as harmful medications. We report two instances of dose-dependent relations between sertraline and bleeding tendency. Bleeding diathesis was alleviated by adjusting dosage of medication. It could be argued that benefits of SSRIs could outweigh this potential and probably avoidable sideeffect; if dose-adjustment is properly implemented.

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between religious orientation (intrinsic–external) and cognitive distortions. General design of this study considered as a descriptive and correlational method. Universal population in this research consist all students of the Urmia Azad University, which were studying during 2012 and 2013 (n = 250). All respondents filled the Alports religious and cognitive distortions questionnaires. The answers were analyzed with step by step regression and correlation method. The research showed a significant relationship between the religious orientation and cognitive distortions (p < 0.005) (p < 0.001). The results suggest that religious orientation is an important factor in cognitive distortions and individuals with intrinsic religious orientation have less cognitive distortion.