Psychological Distress

The present study was conducted to investigate the structural model of the relationship between mindfulness and loneliness with the mediating role of psychological distress among students with emotional breakdown experiences. The present research method was the descriptive-correlation type of structural equation modeling. The statistical population of this research were all female students of Rasht Azad University in the academic year 2022-2023; among them, 314 students were selected as samples by purposive sampling method. Research questionnaires included: the loneliness scale (LS) (Asher et al., 1984), The mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) (Baer et al., 2006), and the psychological distress scale (K10) (Kessler et al., 2002). The data was analyzed by structural equation analysis method. The findings showed that the model had a good fit. The estimating of the direct effect of mindfulness on loneliness was negative and meaningful; the direct effect of mindfulness on psychological distress was negative and significant; and the direct impact of psychological distress on loneliness was positive and significant (P<0.05). Also, the indirect impact of psychological distress in the relationship between mindfulness and loneliness was negative and significant (P<0.05). From the above findings, it can be concluded that the mediating role of psychological distress in the relationship between mindfulness and loneliness in students with emotional breakdown experiences was confirmed.

This research was conducted to investigate the mediating role of difficulty in emotion regulation in the relationship between psychological distress and marital conflict with self-silencing in women. The current research was a descriptive-correlation type of structural equation modeling. The statistical population of the research was all the women of Rey City in 2024. Using the available sampling method, a sample of 300 people was selected and participated in the study. Research tools included: Silencing the Self Scale (STSS, Jack & Dill, 1992), Psychological Distress Scale (K10, Kessler, 2002), Marital conflict questionnaire (MCQ, Sanaei, 2001), and Difficulties in emotion regulation scale (DERS, Gratz & Roemer, 2004). The data were analyzed using the structural equation analysis method. The results of the structural equation analysis indicated the appropriate fit of the model. The findings showed that marital conflict can directly predict self-silencing (p< 0.001). Also, psychological distress and marital conflict could indirectly predict self-silencing in women through difficulty in emotional regulation (p< 0.001). These results show that psychological distress and marital conflict, due to the important role of difficulty in emotion regulation, can explain self-silencing in women, and it is necessary to pay attention to these factors in interaction with each other in programs to reduce marital problems.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate structural equation modeling of the mediating role of self-care behaviors in the relationship between mindfulness and self-compassion with the psychological distress of dialysis patients. This was descriptive-correlation research. The statistical population of the study was dialysis patient’s Kashan city in March to July of year 2024. The sample size was selected based on Klein's model (2023) and with subjectivw sampling of 300 dialysis patient’s. Data collection tools include the Kessler psychological distress scale (K-10) of Kessler and et al (2003), the Freiburg mindfulness inventory (FMI) of Walach and et al (2006), short form of the self‐compassion scale (SF-SCS) of Raes and et al (2011) and exercise of self‐care agency scale (ESCAS) of Kearney and Fleischer (1979). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and structural equations modeling. Data analysis software was SPSS and AMOS version 28. Te results showed direct effect of mindfulness (β= -0.62 and sig=0.001) and self-compassion (β= -0.53 and sig=0.001) were significant on self-care behaviors. Also, the results showed that theory of mind had a mediating role in relationship between mindfulness (β= -0.50 and sig=0.001) and self-compassion (β= -0.47 and sig=0.001) with self-care behaviors. Also, the final research model had a good fit (RMSEA=0.05, p<0.05). According to the findings of this research and the importance of the role of the mindfulness and self-compassion mind in the self-care behaviors of dialysis patients, it is suggested to experts in this field to use the training of mindfulness and self-compassion to improve psychological distress in dialysis patients.

The objective of the present study was the structural model of cognitive functioning based on psychological distress with the mediating role of the family's expressed emotion in people with schizophrenia. The research is applicative and the research method was correlational through structural equations modeling. The statistical population of the study included people suffering from schizophrenia who referred to Shafa and Parham rehabilitation centers in Isfahan in the spring of 2023. 240 people with schizophrenia were selected from the statistical population as the available sampling. The research instruments were ognitive Performance Evaluation Questionnaire (CPEQ), Psychological Distress Questionnaire (PDQ) and Expressed Emotion Questionnaire (EEQ). The data analysis was conducted through structural equations modeling via SPSS and Amos versions 23. The results showed that psychological distress has a significant direct effect on cognitive functioning (p < 0.05, β = -0.497) and family's expressed emotion (p <0.05, β = -0.514) of people with schizophrenia and it was able to explain 24.7 and 26.4 percent of the variance of these variables, respectively. Finally, family's expressed emotion had a significant direct effect on cognitive functioning (p < 0.05, β =-0.433) of people with schizophrenia and was able to explain 18.6% of the variance of this variable. Meanwhile, family's expressed emotion has a significant mediating role in the relationship between psychological distress with cognitive functioning in people with schizophrenia (p<0.05). Considering the significant mediating role of family's expressed emotion, it is possible to improve the cognitive function of people with schizophrenia by using effective interventions such as emotional management and regulation training that lead to improvement of family members' interactions.

The aim of the present study was to test the effectiveness of the combined treatment of self-compassion and lifestyle modification on the Psychological Distress in obese women. The research method was a semi-experimental pre-test-post-test type with a control group and a two-month follow-up. The statistical population of the research included all women with BMI ≥ 25 referring to nutrition centers in Qazvin city in 2023. 60 participants in the research were selected by voluntary sampling and meeting the entry criteria, and then randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (30 people). The experimental group received 12 sessions of 2 hours for 4 weeks as a group combined therapy of self-compassion and lifestyle modification. To collect data, Body Mass Index (BMI) and Depression-Anxiety-Stress Questionnaire(DASS.21, Lavibond and Lavibond ,1995) were used. Finally, the data were mixed by variance analysis and analyzed with spss-24 software. The results showed that the combined treatment of self-compassion and lifestyle modification reduced stress and depression (P<0.05). Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the combined treatment of self-compassion and lifestyle as a replacement package is effective in reducing psychological distress (stress and depression) in women suffering from obesity.

 The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of positive psychotherapy on psychological distress, cognitive preoccupation, and negative automatic thoughts in students preparing for university entrance exams.

Methods and Materials: 

This study is applied in nature and semi-experimental in terms of implementation, employing a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of this study included all female students preparing for university entrance exams in Kermanshah in 1402. From the statistical population, 40 individuals were selected using convenience sampling and were divided into two groups (one experimental group and one control group). The research instruments included the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (Kessler et al., 2003), the Negative Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (Kendall & Hollon, 1980), and the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (Rachman & Shafran, 1996). Data analysis was conducted using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA).

 The results of the study indicated that the positive psychotherapy intervention method had a significant impact on the psychological distress of students preparing for university entrance exams in the post-test phase (p < 0.01). The positive psychotherapy intervention method also had a significant impact on the negative automatic thoughts of these students in the post-test phase (p < 0.01), as well as on their cognitive preoccupation (p < 0.01).

 Positive psychotherapy is effective in reducing negative automatic thoughts in students preparing for university entrance exams. Positive psychotherapy is also effective in reducing psychological distress and cognitive preoccupation in these students.

Heart disease is the first cause of death in the world, and psychological status can play an important role in the exacerbation and relaps of this disease. Therefore, it is essential to identify psychological factors affecting the condition of patients with heart disease. The present study aimed to investigate the psychological distress of heart patients based on insecure attachment style with the mediating role of alexithymia and the moderating role of mindfulness and self-compassion. The current research was structural equation modeling. The statistical population of this research included all coronary and heart failure patients who referred to the medical centers of Aran- Bidgol and Kashan cities in 2022-2023. 200 heart patients were selected by convenience sampling. Using psychological distress scale (DASS-21), Collins and Reed attachment style questionnaire (RAAS), alexithymia questionnaire(TAS-20), Brown and Ryan mindfulness scale questionnaire (MAAS) and self-compassion questionnaire(SCS-SF) data was collected. Data were analyzed by bootstrap method using AMOS 24. The results showed that the proposed model has a good fit. Also, the results showed that alexithymia mediates the relationship between avoidant attachment and psychological distress, and mindfulness and self-compassion have a moderating role in the relationship between alexithymia and psychological distress. According to findings, insecure attachment style plays a role in alexithymia and psychological distress of heart patients and with interventions based on mindfulness and self-compassion can help improve the health of heart patients.

The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of emotion-oriented therapy and compassion-based therapy on premature bereavement and psychological distress of caregivers of cancer patients. The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group with a three-month follow-up period. The statistical population of the research was the caregivers of cancer patients admitted to Imam Hossein and Bahar hospitals in Shahrood City in 2022. 45 people were selected by available sampling and randomly divided into 3 groups (15 people in each group). The research tools included premature bereavement questionnaires (MM-CGI) by Dehghani et al. (2012), and psychological distress (K-10) by Kessler (2003). One of the experimental groups received emotion-oriented therapy in 10 1-hour sessions, and the other experimental group received compassion-based therapy in the form of 10 1-hour sessions twice a week. Analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to analyze the data. The findings showed that emotion-oriented therapy and compassion-based therapy had a significant effect on premature bereavement and psychological distress (p<0.05). Also, emotion-oriented therapy has been more effective in reducing premature grief and psychological distress of caregivers of cancer patients compared to compassion-based therapy (p<0.01). The results showed that emotion-oriented therapy was a more efficient intervention compared to compassion-based therapy for reducing premature grief and psychological distress of caregivers of cancer patients.

The present study was conducted to investigate the mediating role of experiential avoidance in predicting psychological distress based on childhood trauma in college students. The present research method was the descriptive-correlation type of structural equation modeling. The statistical population of the present study consisted of all the students of the Islamic Azad University, Saveh branch in the academic year 2022-2023, and 250 of them were selected as a statistical sample using a non-random and purposeful sampling method. To collect information from Bond et al's Acceptance and Action Questionnaires-II (AAQ-II, 2011), Lovibond & Lovibond's Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS, 1995), and Bernstein and Fink's Childhood Trauma Questionnaire- Short Form (CTQ-SF, 1998) was used. The data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient test and structural equation modeling. Based on the research findings, the proposed model was a good fit. The results showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between childhood trauma and experiential avoidance with psychological distress (P<0.01). It was also found that experiential avoidance has a mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and psychological distress (P<0.01). Therefore, it is suggested to investigate and evaluate the history of childhood trauma and experiential avoidance in the implementation of prevention and treatment programs.

The present study was conducted to investigate the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between psychological distress and suicidal thoughts in women who experienced love failure. The descriptive-correlation research method was Path Analysis. The statistical population of the present study consisted of all women who experienced love failure in the city of Tehran in 2023, out of which 250 people were selected through a targeted sampling method through an internet call among social network users. The data were collected by Beck et al.'s suicidal ideation questionnaire (1979, BSSI), Levibond and Levibond's depression, anxiety, and stress scale (1995, DASS), and Gross and John's (2003, CERQ) cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire. was collected The obtained data were analyzed through correlation coefficient test and Path Analysis. The results showed that there is a positive and significant correlation between psychological distress and its components with suicidal ideation (P<0.01). Also, the results indicated the confirmation of the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between psychological distress and suicidal thoughts in women who experienced love failure (P<0.01). The modified model also had a favorable fit. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the consequences of suicidal thoughts in these people by providing timely and appropriate interventions and training to strengthen emotional-cognitive skills and reduce psychological distress in women who have experienced love failure.

The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Mindful Self-Compassion Therapy (MSCT) on psychological distress and sleep quality in employed women suffering from migraine headaches. The present research employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test and control group. The population of the study included all employed women suffering from migraine headaches in Rasht city in the year 2023. Sixty individuals were deliberately chosen from this pool and then randomly allocated into three groups, each consisting of 20 participants: experimental group 1, experimental group 2, and a control group. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-42, Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI, Buysse et al., 1988) were used to collect data. Both experimental groups received interventions of ACT and MSCT once a week for a duration of 8 sessions, each lasting 90 minutes. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS24. The results indicated that, after controlling for the pre-test effects, there was a significant difference in the post-test mean scores of depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep quality among the three groups (P<0.01). Additionally, no significant difference was observed in the post-test mean scores between the ACT and MSCT groups at the 0.05 level (P>0.05). Based on the findings of this study, there is no significant difference between the effectiveness of ACT and MSCT.

Studies have shown that the experience of emotions in educational environments affects academic stress, social adjustment and psychological distress. The basic experiential processing method under the title of emotion-oriented processes leads to the activation and reorganization of emotional schemas. The review of related research literature shows that limited studies have investigated the teaching of emotional processing strategies on academic stress, social adjustment and psychological distress of students.

This research was conducted with the aim of determining the effectiveness of emotional processing strategies training on academic stress, social adjustment and psychological distress in male second year high school students.

The design of the current research was experimental, of pre-test-post-test type with a control group. The statistical population of the research included all male students of the second year of high school in Khorram Abad who were studying in the academic year of 2001-2001. Using multi-stage random sampling method, 60 students were selected and randomly placed in two experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent an 8-session educational intervention of emotion-oriented processing strategies (Gross, 2007). In this research, the scales of academic stress of Zajakova et al. (2005), Sinha and Singh (1993) social adjustment and Kessler (2003) psychological distress were used and analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data.

The findings of the research showed that teaching emotion-oriented processing strategies reduces academic stress, increases social adaptation, and reduces psychological distress in second year high school male students at a significance level of p< 0.01.

According to the findings, it is concluded that emotion-oriented processing training can help reduce academic stress and psychological distress, and increase the level of social adjustment of second year male students. Therefore, paying attention to teaching emotion-oriented processing strategies can play an important role in improving the academic, psychological and social status of students in school.

The present study was conducted to investigate the mediating role of parental burnout in the relationship between mental distress and child abuse in the covid-19 pandemic. The statistical population of the research included all mothers of secondary school students in Ardakan city in the academic year 1400-1401. 248 people were selected with convenience sampling and answered the standard child abuse questionnaires (CAQ) Hosseinkhani et al., (2012), psychological distress (DTQ) Kessler et al. Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. The results showed that there is a significant positive relationship between mental distress and parental burnout with child abuse (P<0.05). Also, the results showed that parental burnout has a direct and significant effect on child abuse and mental distress on parental burnout (P<0.05). Also, psychological distress through parental burnout had an important indirect impact on child abuse (P<0.05). Therefore, the research model has a good fit, and psychological distress due to parental burnout is related to misbehaving children during the COVID-19 pandemic, and these findings can be used in educational programs and interventions related to families in epidemic conditions.

This study aimed to investigate the moderating role of positive coping strategies in the relationship between psychological distress and suicidal ideation. The research method was descriptive and correlational. The statistical population of the present study consisted of all female students in the first year of middle school in Qom city during the academic year 2023-2024. Based on the Tabachnick and Fidell (2007) formula, a total of 138 individuals were selected using the convenience sampling method. The tools used in this research included the Suicidal Ideation Scale (Beck & Steer, 1991), the Psychological Distress Scale (Kessler et al., 2003), and the Coping Strategies Inventory (Billings and Moos, 1981). To analyze the data and test the research hypotheses, Pearson correlation and hierarchical regression were employed using SPSS-V25 software. The findings revealed that the correlation coefficient between positive coping strategies and suicidal ideation was negative and significant. Additionally, the correlation coefficient between psychological distress and positive coping strategies was also negative and significant. Furthermore, the results indicated that positive coping strategies played a moderating role in the relationship between psychological distress and suicidal ideation. These results underscore the importance of developing and strengthening positive coping strategies as a key intervention in preventing suicide and improving individuals’ mental health. This study can assist mental health professionals in designing effective intervention programs to reduce the risk of suicide.