Iranian Journal of Practice in Clinical Psychology
Volume:7 Issue: 2, Spring 2019

The current research investigated the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on psychosomatic symptoms and mindfulness in patients with psychosomatic disorders. A randomized clinical trial was conducted at Kashan University of Medical Sciences clinics in Kashan City, Iran, from December 1, 2017, to March 30, 2018. In total, 66 patients with psychosomatic disorders were selected by purposive sampling method. The selected patients were divided into three groups (each 22 samples which were selected randomly). The subjects had a medical record at Kashan Beheshti Hospital. The experimental group received ACT with medicinal treatment. The first control group received psychological interventions and the second control group received medicinal treatment without any psychological interventions. The results were obtained using the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI)-short Form and Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research in the Pre-test and Post-Test phases and the three-month follow-up. In the follow-up and Post-Test phases, mindfulness improved in the intervention group, compared to the active and neutral control groups (P<0.001). Moreover, the active control group demonstrated more ability to mindfulness than the neutral control group (P<0.001). Furthermore, the obtained results were similar for psychosomatic symptoms. ACT can improve psychosomatic symptoms and mindfulness level in patients with psychosomatic disorders.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of acceptance and commitment therapy on the resiliency and alexithymia of the patients with Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD). The present research had a quasi-experimental design with pre-test post-test and a control group. The study population included all patients with SSD that referred to health care centers of Ahvaz City, in 2016. A total of 30 patients were selected through convenience sampling method and randomized to the experimental and waiting group (each group 15 persons). The experimental group received ACT sessions for 7 weeks continuously (each session lasting 90 minutes), and the control group was put on a waiting list. Groups completed the resiliency questionnaire and Toronto Alexithymia Scale in the pre-test and post-test. The obtained data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS V. 21. The findings show a significant difference between the average scores of resiliency (F=21.97) and alexithymia (F=19.79) of the experimental and control groups in the post-test stage. So, the method of group therapy based on acceptance and commitment significantly increased resiliency and decreased alexithymia of the patients with SSD (P<0.01). According to the results, therapists and clinical psychologists can use this method to increase resiliency and decrease alexithymia of the patients with SSD.

The present study aims to investigate the effect of emotions (negative and positive affects) and gender on the activity of different brain regions and their relationship with personality traits of extraversion, introversion, neuroticism, and stability. The study participants were 33 right-handed volunteer undergraduate students (17 males and 16 females). Our stimuli were two 6-minute long happy and sad video clips. We used electroencephalography for brain imaging. Briggs-Nebes handedness questionnaire, Eysenck personality inventory, general health questionnaire, and positive and negative affect schedule questionnaire were used for assessing participants’ reactions. The collected data were analyzed by MANOVA and ANOVA tests. Different activities due to positive and negative affect inductions were seen only in right temporal (Sig.=0.036, F=3.453), left temporal (Sig.=0.045, F=2.873), right posterior (Sig.=0.032, F=3.157) and left posterior lobes of the participants’ brains (Sig.=0.014; P<0.01, F=2.932). Under positive affect induction, the activity of right temporal lobe in extraverted people was higher than that in introverted ones. No significant difference was found in the right anterior and right posterior activities between stable and neurotic individuals under negative attitude induction (F=0.387, P>0.05). There was no significant difference of activity in the left anterior of stable and neurotic subjects under negative attitude induction (P>0.05). Also, there was no significant difference between male and female students’ brain activity (P>0.05). Therefore, regional brain activity is different under positive attitude and negative attitude inductions, but gender does not affect it. Also, personality traits are effective in the activity of some brain regions.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) tries to increase the psychological acceptance of individuals during mental experiences (thoughts, emotions, etc.) and to decrease their ineffective control of behaviors. This study aimed to determine the impact of ACT on the psychological flexibility of students with thalassemia in Zahedan City, Iran. The present study was a quasi-experimental interventional study with experimental and control/ waiting groups. The subjects were evaluated in the pre-test, post-test, and two-month follow-up stages. The statistical population included all students with thalassemia studying in senior elementary and junior high schools in Zahedan. A total of 60 volunteers were selected and randomly assigned into two groups (control and experimental), each one including 30 subjects. The research tool was the Psychological Flexibility Test. ACT was conducted during 8 sessions (Two 120-minute sessions per week during one month), and a follow-up test was taken two months after the end of the intervention. The study data were analyzed through repeated measures analysis of variance. The results indicated a significant effect of ACT on increasing the cognitive flexibility in patients with thalassemia and supported the stability of this psychotherapy at the follow-up stage (F=63.823, P=0.001). ACT can be used to increase cognitive flexibility and to treat psychological disorders. Comparing cognitive flexibility scores of the samples in the pre-test, post-test, and follow up stages suggest that ACT is an effective method for improving cognitive flexibility in students with thalassemia major.

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of narrative therapy on reducing the fear of intimacy in couples. To achieve this purpose, the present research opted for a quasi-experimental study, including pre-test and post-test with a control group. The study population included couples seeking improvement in their relationships who attended Delphi Clinic, a center for counseling and psychological services in Tehran City, Iran. The study sample consisted of 12 couples (24 individuals) who had achieved the highest scores compared to the mean scores in the Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS). Sampling was carried out through a purposive sampling method, and the members were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups (each containing 6 couples). Having performed the pre-test and completed the FIS, the experimental group participated in the two-hour sessions of narrative therapy for 14 weeks, and the control group was put on the waiting list. At the end of the sessions, all 12 couples responded to the FIS again as the post-test. The data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance. According to the obtained results, 75% of the differences observed in the scores of the post-test FIS were caused by the effect of narrative therapy intervention. Therefore, with a 99% confidence, narrative therapy can reduce the fear of intimacy in couples when compared to the control group. In summary, couple narrative therapy can reduce the fear of intimacy by constructing new meanings in couples’ lives.

This research aimed to predict suicidality and addiction (substance, alcohol, cigarette, psychoactive drugs) among university students based on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and exposure to the suicide of family members and or friends. The research method was cross-sectional. The statistical community included all students of the University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil City, Iran, in 2018. A sample of 500 people was selected through convenience sampling method. The obtained data were analyzed by descriptive statistics indices, the Pearson correlation, and regression analysis in SPSS V. 23. The study measures included depressive symptom-suicidality subscale, adverse childhood experiences, substance, alcohol, cigarette, psychoactive drugs abuse, and exposure to suicidal behavior. The findings show a significant correlation between ACEs and suicide, substance, alcohol, cigarette, psychoactive drugs abuse. In addition, there was a significant correlation between the person’s suicide and exposure to the suicide of a friend and or a family member. Exposure to friends’ suicide had a significant correlation with substance, alcohol, cigarette, and psychoactive drugs abuses, but there was no significant correlation between exposure to family members’ suicide and addictions. Moreover, in the predicting variables, findings showed that ACEs can predict both suicide (r=0.322) and addictions; cigarette smoking (r=0.244), alcohol consumption (r=0.216), substance abuse (r=0.180) and street drugs (r= 0.172). However, exposure to friends’ and family members’ suicide did not have this predicting power. Adverse childhood experiences play an important part in suicidality and addiction, and we should prevent these experiences by working on the family.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is one of the prevalent autoimmune diseases that affects the central nervous system. It is a chronic neurological disorder that progresses to physical inability and cognitive abnormalities restricting the individual’s ability to function independently. The problems of MS patients significantly affect their psychological well-being. Considering the problems of MS patients, like commuting, traffic, and long distances to health centers, weather conditions, and enormous time and costs they spend on seeking health services, remote psychological intervention is an alternative and advisable choice. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention (MBI) via a web conferencing application on the reduction of anxiety, depression, and fatigue of patients with MS. This is a pre-test post-test quasi-experimental study with a control group. A total of 30 female patients with relapsing-remitting MS, who met the inclusion criteria were selected through purposeful sampling method from the members of the MS Society in Tehran and Qom cities in 2017. They were randomly divided into experimental (n=15) and control groups (n=15). The two groups completed Beck anxiety inventory, Beck depression inventory, and fatigue Inventory online in three stages (before the intervention, after the intervention, and one-month follow-up after intervention). The experimental group received eight 2-h sessions of MBI via a web conferencing software, while the control group received no intervention. For analyzing the collected data, repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance was performed in SPSS V. 23. There was a significant difference between the two groups in the post-test scores of anxiety (F=50.277, P≤0.001, η2=0.642), depression (F=73.680, P≤0.001, η2=0.725), and fatigue (F=111.086, P≤0.001, η2=0.799). MBI significantly reduced the anxiety and depression and fatigue in the experimental group. MBI is effective in reducing anxiety, depression, and fatigue of MS patients. This therapy can be applied as an effective method to improve the quality of life of MS patients.

The purpose of this study is to propound the structural model of executive functions and extramarital relationship with the mediating role of marital commitment. The samples were selected by convenience sampling method. In experimental situation, for assessing the executive function of the participants did computerized exams, including Stroop test, Wisconsin test, Go-No-Go test, N-Back test, completed commitment questionnaire of Rusbult, and attitudes toward infidelity scale of Whatley. The obtained data were analyzed using regression and structural equation modeling. Executive functions, including inhibition, task switching, working memory, and commitment, directly affect the extramarital relationship through the mediation of commitment. The model has a suitable fit (average root mean square second approximation error; 0.051, goodness of fit index; 0.942, normed fit index; 0.926, and comparative fit index; 0.942). Executive functions (including inhibition, task switching, working memory), and marital commitment play an important role in extramarital relationships; therefore, they should be taken into consideration.