فصلنامه سلامت روان کودک
سال هفتم شماره 4 (پیاپی 25، زمستان 1399)

The most common comorbid disorder with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is depression. Masochistic aggression and suicide are the main concerns about individuals with BDD who suffer from depression and have impaired function. Present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and metacognitive therapy (MCT) on depression, suicide ideation, and masochistic aggression among individuals with subclinical symptoms of BDD. 

This study was a quasi-experimental study with a control group pretest-posttest design. The sample included 51 girls with subclinical symptoms of BDD who had been selected with purposive sampling from a public secondary school in Tehran in the academic year 2018-2019. After being evaluated and giving the informed consent, the participants were randomly assigned to one of the two experimental groups of CBT and MCT or waiting list. The participants completed the Body Image Concern Inventory (Littleton, 2005), Beck Depression Inventory-II (Beck et al., 1996), Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (Beck et al., 1979), and masochistic aggression subscale of Aggression Styles Inventory (Alavizadeh & et al., 2016) at the pre-test, post-test and 3 months follow-up stages. Data were analyzed by repeated-measures ANOVA in SPSS-26. 

Results showed that although CBT and MCT were effective in alleviating the symptoms of depression (p<0.01), suicide ideation (p<0.01) and masochistic aggression (P<0.05), CBT was more effective in decreasing depression (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between CBT and MCT in terms of their effect on suicide ideation and masochistic aggression (P<0.05).

According to these findings, it can be concluded that CBT and MCT are effective in alleviating the mood-related symptoms in individuals with subclinical symptoms of BDD. Furthermore, the behavioral activation session can be the reason of the higher effectiveness of CBT.

Depression as a common mental disorder can seriously damage the academic procedure and psychological state of the students. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of resilience training and elf-compassion training on the general health and academic burnout in students with depression symptoms.

This study was a quasi-experimental research with pretest-posttest control group design. The population included all the male students studying at the first cycle of the secondary schools in Parsabad city (Ardabil province) in the academic year 2017-2018 (N= 2028). A sample of 60 students with depression symptoms was selected through multi-stage cluster sampling and randomly assigned to three groups (n=20). Data were collected by Depression Self-rating Scale (Birleson, 1981), General Health Questionnaire (Goldberg & Hillier, 1979) and Academic Burnout Questionnaire (Bresochr('39'), Salanova, & Schaufeli, 2007) and then analyzed by ANCOVA through using SPSS Version 20.

Data analysis showed that both resilience and self-compassion training were effective in improving the components of general health and reducing the academic burnout in students with depression symptoms (P≤0.05). Also, based on the follow-up test results, resilience training was more effective than self-compassion training in decreasing the academic exhaustion (P≤0.05).

The results showed that both methods used in this study were effective in improving the general health and reducing the academic burnout. However, due to the increase of flexibility and optimism, relisence training was more effective in reducing the academic exhaustion.

This study aims to explain the requirements of a multicultural curriculum based on the objectives of primary education and answers to this question that regarding the multicultural nature of Iranian society, which features should this curriculum contain and to what extent the current curriculum is based on these features.

 This was a qualitative content analysis (inductive-deductive). The statistical population included authentic (valid) documents, including national curriculum, specialized texts, and theses related to multicultural curriculum and the educational package for primary school curriculum. Research sample included the national curriculum, related studies in multicultural countries, and the educational package for the course of social studies in the primary school. Purposive and criterion sampling was used by giving priority to the articles that were up to date and have a profound connection with the study subject. To collect the data, national and international sources in the area of multicultural education within the years of 2009 to 2020 were used. Finally, unrelated sources were excluded and 86 sources were analyzed. The social studies educational package was selected because it is more expected to contain multicultural components.  Research data were collected through documentary research and were analyzed through a qualitative (descriptive-interpretive) method. 

In terms of the first research question, five components were extracted as the multicultural curriculum, including the observance of educational justice, acceptance of cultural pluralism, interest in peaceful coexistence, respect for divine religions and a combined approach in curriculum content. Based on the content analysis of these five themes, findings related to the second question showed low interest in multicultural curriculum components at all levels. However, the themes were not equally considered.

Low overlap between the book content and the course design guidelines, and the unbalanced, non-targeted, and inadequate distribution of multicultural curriculum components were among the results of this study. Based on the results, dominancy of exploration skill training approach, problem-solving, and critical thinking to present curriculum content are suggested.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood that affects a wide range of functions, including emotion regulation. This study aimed to compare and determine the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy, neurofeedback and therapy based on SPARK perceptual-motor exercises on emotion regulation in children with ADHD.

This study was a quasi-experimental research with control group design, including pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. The study population included all children with ADHD in Isfahan during April to September 2019, among them 60 were selected by purposive sampling and then randomly assigned to any of the four groups: mindfulness therapy, neurofeedback, therapy based on SPARK perceptual-motor exercises, and the control group. The experimental groups underwent the therapies for 10 weeks, while the control group received no intervention. To collect the data, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale of Bunford et al. (34) was used. The collected data were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS.

The findings showed that in the post-test phase, there was a significant difference between the experimental groups and the control group (p<0.01). Comparing the groups, it was found that mindfulness intervention was more effective than neurofeedback (p <0.05), but no significant difference was observed between mindfulness therapy and SPARK (p> 0.05). Also, findings of the follow-up phase showed that the effectiveness endured in the mindfulness and SPARK groups (p<0.01) but the effect of neurofeedback decreased over time (p> 0.05).

Based on the results, it can be stated that mindfulness and the therapy based on SPARK perceptual-motor exercises reduce the difficulty in emotion regulation through increasing the clarity and acceptance of emotions and regulating the nervous connections respectively.

Children with intellectual disability may cause growing psychological problems for their parents, specifically the mothers as the principal caregivers. During the recent years, different research and clinical methods have been used to reduce these psychological problems. Present research was conducted to compare the effectiveness of emotion regulation training and mindfulness training on the reduction of rumination in the mothers of children with mild intellectual disability.

This study was a quasi-experimental research with multi-group pretest-posttest design. The population included all the mothers of children with mild intellectual disability who had referred to the special schools of Rasht in the academic year 2019-2020.  Among them, a sample of 36 mothers was selected by purposive sampling and then randomly assigned into the experimental or control groups (12 mothers per group). To collect the data, Ruminative Response Scale (Nolen-Hoeksema & Morrow, 1991) was used. After nine 90-min sessions of emotion regulation training and mindfulness training conducted for the experimental groups, all the three groups were reassessed at the post-test stage. Data were analyzed by one-way ANCOVA and multivariate ANCOVA in SPSS-22.

Data analysis showed that emotion regulation training and mindfulness training significantly decreased the overall rumination and its components in the mothers of children with mild intellectual disability (P<0.01). Furthermore, based on the results of post hoc tests, it can be said that there was no significant difference between emotion regulation training and mindfulness training in reducing the overall rumination and its components (P>0.05).

Based on these findings, it can be said that emotion regulation by improving the emotional repair, reducing the negative self-referential processing, and increasing the ability of doing purposive behaviors, and mindfulness training by increasing the present moment awareness and more efficient information processing are effective in reducing rumination in the mothers of children with mild intellectual disability.

The birth of a child is an exciting but stressful event for the parents. Meanwhile, the birth of a child with special needs imposes more stress on the parents and requires special physical and mental strength to parenting the child. The current study was conducted to compare the interpersonal mindfulness in parenting, parental competence, and perceived social support in the mothers of children with or without special needs.

This study was a descriptive research with comparative analytical design. The statistical population included two groups of mothers of children with or without special needs living in Qazvin in 2018. Among them, 160 mothers (87 having a child without special needs and 73 having a child with special needs) were selected voluntarily by convenience sampling to participate in the study. The research tools included Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting Scale (Duncan, 2007), Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (Johnston and Mash, 1989) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, and Farley, 1988).

The results showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups of mothers of children with or without special needs in terms of interpersonal mindfulness in parenting (p<.01) and parental competence (p<.05); however no significant difference was found in terms of perceived social support (p>.4).

Results showed lower scores of parental competence and higher scores of interpersonal mindfulness in parenting in the mothers of children with special needs compared to the mothers of children without special needs. The implications of the result are discussed in the article.

Previous studies have shown that martial arts can be used to reduce behavioral and communication problems in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, few studies have been conducted about its effect on the sleep habits in in these children. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of practicing kata techniques on sleep habits of boys with ASD.

This study was performed by a random assignment pre-test-post-test design. For this purpose, 20 children with ASD were selected from children aged between 8 and 14 years in the charity of the Guilan Autism Association in 2018 and were randomly divided into the experimental or control group. Parents of children completed Childrenchr('39')s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (Owens, 2000) before and after the 10-week intervention. Shapiro-Wilk test was used to determine the normality of the data, and analysis of covariance was used to compare the means of the groups before and after the intervention.

Ten weeks of Kata techniques training had a significant effect on total score of sleep habits questionnaire and subscales of bedtime resistance (F=7.28, p<0.02), sleep duration (F=26.08, p<0.002), sleep anxiety (F=10.12, p<0.01), nighttime awakening (F=17.58, p<0.002), parasomnia (F=8.07, p<0.01) and daytime sleepiness (F=15.74, p<0.003) in children with ASD.

Based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that martial arts can reduce inappropriate sleeping habits in children with ASD by causing hormonal, biological and biochemical changes in the body and can be added as a valuable intervention to childrenchr('39')s daily programs to improve sleep patterns in children with ASD.

Strengthening the wisdom alongside the intelligence is essential for studentschr('39') spiritual and scientific progress. Accordingly, the behavioral indicators and the level of wisdom of students should be measured with a valid and reliable tool in accordance with the Islamic culture. This study aims to investigate the psychometric properties of the wisdom assessment scale for adolescent students, constructed by Salmaniardani, Shahriariahmadi, and Davaee. 

This research was an applied-developmental and a descriptive-survey study in the method of gathering the data. The study population included all the high-IQ students and average-IQ students of the first cycle of the secondary school in Isfahan in the academic year 2018-2019. Cluster random sampling was used and 400 students were individually tested by the questionnaire for measuring the wisdom. Data were analyzed by SPSS and AMOS software using correlation coefficient and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.

The results of factor analysis showed that the eight factors of general wisdom, religious wisdom, emotional wisdom, human wisdom, spiritual wisdom, moral wisdom, social wisdom, and scientific wisdom with eigenvalues higher than one explained 71.49% of the variance of items. The results of the first-order confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model fit index was optimal. The reliability of the questionnaire calculated by Cronbachchr('39')s alpha was 0.895.

The coordination between the factors and the total score is acceptable and the model fit index is optimal, indicating the adequacy of the questionnaire.

Affective, behavioral & cognitive leisure time cultural program is one of the most important programs that can decrease the emotional problems in mothers and enhance the social skills in their children. Therefore, efforts are made here to investigate the effectiveness of this program on the emotion regulation of mothers and social skills of their children with intellectual disability (ID).

This research was a quasi-experimental study with pre-test post-test control group design. The sample consisted of 30 mothers and their children with ID who were selected by convenience sampling and then randomly assigned to either the control or experimental groups. The experimental group underwent 16 sessions of intervention (two 60-min sessions per week), while the control group did not. The instruments of this research were Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz & Roemer, 2004) and Evaluation of Social Skills (Matson & Ollendick, 1983). Independent t-test and MANOVA were used for analyzing the data.

The results showed that Affective, behavioral & cognitive leisure time cultural program had a significant effect on the emotion regulation of mothers of children with ID (t=11.22, P=0.0001). Furthermore, intervention had a positive and significant effect on the social skills in their children (t=10.22, P=0.0001).

Affective, behavioral & cognitive leisure time cultural program improved the emotion regulation of mothers and increased the social skills in their children with ID. So, planning for use of this cultural program is of particular importance.

As children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to experience anxiety than their peers, investigation of risk factors for anxiety in them is important for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment. Thus, this study aims to explore the risk factors of anxiety in children and adolescent with ASD.Source of Data: To obtain the selected articles to enter the analysis, systematic search strategies were used. The five databases including Scopus, Sciencedirect, PubMed, OVID-PsycINFO, and Springer were searched using a combination of selected keywords.

This study was a systematic review and 5 electronic databases from 2000 to 2019 were searched using a comprehensive search strategy. As a result of this search, 377 articles were retrieved. According to PRISMA and based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 18 research papers were selected for the study.

Although the findings were somehow contradictory, according to the results of the majority of studies, it can be concluded that anxiety in girls and in older children and adolescents with ASD is higher than boys and younger children and adolescents with ASD. Moreover, it was found that children with higher cognitive functions, lower autism severity, and more social problems had more anxiety symptoms.

The current findings suggest that gender, age, cognitive functioning, ASD severity, and social problems should be considered as potential risk factors for anxiety when assessing a child with ASD. Therefore, early prevention and intervention of anxiety in children with ASD who are most at risk is necessary.

Child labour refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives them of their childhood, and threatens their mental, physical, and educational health. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy on self-esteem, empathy, and forgiveness in child labour.

This research was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest control group design. The population of the present study consisted of all 10 to 14 years old girls engaged in child labor in Tehran in 2019. The research sample consisted of 24 girls who were selected through convenience sampling, based on the inclusion criteria. The instruments used included Coopersmithchr('39')s Self Esteem Inventory (1967), Forgiveness Questionnaire (Rye et al., 2001) and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Davis, 1983). Initially, all children were pre-tested. Then, the experimental group received eight 60-min sessions of compassion-focused therapy (Gilbert, 2009), while the control group underwent no intervention. Finally, the  post-test was conducted on both groups. Data were analyzed by covariance analysis in SPSS19.

Statistical findings indicated significant differences between experimental and the control group in terms of self-esteem (F=47.69، P ≤ 0.001). Also, the results showed that the mean difference of empathy and forgiveness variables between the experimental and control groups was not statistically significant.

Considering that self-esteem has widespread effects on childrenchr('39')s success in many areas, including the quality of interpersonal relations, education, and adaptation, it can be concluded that in affected children who have a lot of shame and self-criticism, compassion-focused therapy increases the self-esteem, by modifying and enhancing their interpersonal interactions.

Since the beginning of the identification of dyslexia problems, most research in this field has been based on medical and deficit-oriented approaches, all of which emphasize mostly on the existence of defects and disorders. However, over the past few decades, several studies have shown that dyslexia does not necessarily mean impairment but it is a different form of mental processing that is rooted in a diverse neurological functioning. Some findings specifically propose that individuals with dyslexia have different and even some superior visual-spatial talents. However, the limited experimental evidence has yielded conflicting results. The aim of the present study was to investigate this issue by focusing on the research on the differences between visual-spatial processing and the existence/lack of such capabilities in individuals with dyslexia.

This research is a kind of descriptive-critical review study. Extensive searches were performed in Iranian and international databases, including SID, Magiran, Ensani, Civilica, Web of Science, ERIC, EBSCO, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Psych INFO and Google Scholar, using the following keywords: dyslexia, reading disorder, reading disability, visual-spatial perception, visual-spatial ability, creativity in dyslexia, nonverbal skills, neurodiversity, and difference-oriented approach. After preliminary study of 124 papers, the unrelated studies were excluded, and 28 papers entered the analysis stage. Data were analyzed by PRISMA model.

‎ Examination of selected papers showed that in 18 tests (20.5%) the performance of participants with dyslexia ‎ was higher than their non-dyslexia counterparts. In 36 tests (40.9%) the difference in visual-spatial ‎performance between dyslexia and non-dyslexia group was not significant, and the performance of ‎dyslexic group was equivalent to that of non-dyslexic group. Results of 34 tests (38.6%) showed that dyslexic group had a lower performance compared to the non-dyslexic participants.

The findings show that the performance of the dyslexics was better in the overall understanding of the whole image, holistic processing, and representation of complex and impossible figures, and they showed a faster reaction time. But there is little evidence to support the existence of visual-spatial talents in all the visual perceptual areas among individuals with dyslexia. Finally, with various research limitations such as the selection of samples with different developmental and training levels and from various age groups, the different methodologies, and the assessment tools used in each study, achieving a more accurate profile of the cognitive strengths and weaknesses of individuals with dyslexia requires further research.

Bullying and victimization are already common problems in schools. Research shows that despite their significant role in shaping bullying and victimization, the components of family relationships have not been studied enough in this regard. Thus, the present research aimed to predict bullying and victimization among students, based on the quality of marital, parent-child, and sibling relationships.

This research employed a descriptive correlational design. The population consisted of all boys studying at the first cycle of the secondary school (i.e. grades 7, 8, & 9) in District 1 of Rasht in the academic year 2019-2020 and their parents. A total of 355 individuals were selected from this population through a convenience sampling. The study tools included Illinois Bully Scale (Espelage & Holt, 2001), the Parent-Child Relationship Survey (PCRS) (Fine et al., 1983), Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS) (Busby et al., 1995), and the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire (SRQ) (Furman, 1985). Data were analyzed by multivariate regression and Pearson correlation techniques.

Status/power in sibling relationships and anger toward father were significant positive predictors which accounted 22 and 7 % of the variance in bullying, respectively. Also, 22 and 16 % of the variance in bullying were predicted significantly and positively by sibling conflict and resentment towards mother (p< 0.001). Our findings also showed that the marital relationship (15%), mother-child relationship (13%), positive affect to the father (37), and communication with father were significant negative predictors of bullying (16). Also, positive affect to father, father involvement, and communication with father were significant negative predictors of victimization, accounting for 26, 38, and 20 % of the variance in this variable (p<0.001).

The above-mentioned results suggest that the quality of intra-family relationships (i.e. marital, parent-child, and sibling relationships) may predict childrenchr('39')s involvement in bullying both as bullies and victims. The implications have been described in the article.

Previous studies indicate the importance of the perceived energy for parenting and mindfulness in the optimal upbringing of children with special needs. In this regard, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of nurturing program for parents and children with special needs and their health challenges on the perceived energy for parenting and mindfulness.

The present research was a quasi-experimental study with pretest- posttest control group design. The population of the study consisted of parents of children with special needs in the exceptional schools of the first district of Rasht city in the first semester of academic year 2019-2020. The sample consisted of 60 parents (mother/father) who were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. The applied instruments were Perceived Energy for Parenting Scale (Janisse, Barnett, & Nies, 2009) and Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory-Short Form (Walach et al., 2006). The experimental group, including children with special needs and their parents received twelve sessions of nurturing program for parents and children with special needs and their health challenges (Burton et al., 2018), but the control group did not receive any intervention. Eventually, the data were analyzed by one-way analysis of covariance.

The findings indicated that the nurturing program for parents and their children with special needs and their health challenges had a significant effect on increasing perceived energy for parenting (F=80.94) and mindfulness (F=9.10) (P<0.01).

Considering the importance of perceived energy for parenting and mindfulness in optimal child rearing, the current nurturing program with a focus on attitudes, needs, independence, empathy, and parent-child relationship can be an effective intervention for enhancing perceived energy for parenting and mindfulness in the parents of children with special needs.

The ability of selective attention does not develop well in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the short attention span leads to incomplete assignments and plans and causes their attention to be constantly shifted from one activity to another. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation program based on prospective memory on the attention span in children with ADHD.

Present study was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest control group design. The sample included 32 children with ADHD aged 8-11 years old in Kermanshah city in the academic year 2017-2018. They were selected by convenience sampling and then randomly assigned to either the experimental or the control group. The experimental group received eighteen 40-min sessions of cognitive rehabilitation program based on prospective memory, while the control group remained on the waiting list. The instruments were Conners’ Parent Rating Scale (Revised) (Conner, 1999), clinical interview, and Stroop Color and Word Test (Stroop, 1953). Data were analyzed by MANCOVA.

The results showed that cognitive rehabilitation program based on prospective memory had a significant positive effect on the attention rate of children with ADHD (P<0.0001).

The use of cognitive rehabilitation program based on prospective memory was associated with positive and effective results and significantly improved the attention in the children. Therefore, use of this program in the treatment procedure of children with ADHD is suggested.

Weakness of students with dyslexia–dysorthographia in encoding, storage, and retrieval of phonetic writing system leads to the high importance of creating and implementing effective interventional programs in the field of specific learning disabilities. So, the aim of the present study was designing COROOR (Cognitive Rehabilitation of Orthography & Reading) computer-based cognitive rehabilitation program and investigating its effect on spelling efficacy and visual-phonological processing in the students with dyslexia – dysorthographia.

This research was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest control group design and a three-month follow-up period. The population consisted of all third grade primary school boy students with dyslexia-dysorthographia who had referred to learning disabilities centers in Kashan city in the academic year 2018-2019. Among them, 20 students with dyslexia-dysorthographia based on diagnostic tests (Dyslexia syndromes checklist based on DSM-5 criteria, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), and Conners Rating Scale) were selected by purposive sampling and then, randomly assigned to either the experimental or the control group (10 per group). After implementing the pretests of writing expression disorder (spelling component) (Baezzat, 2010) and visual-phonological processing (Hosaini, Moradi, Kormi Nouri, Hassani, & Parhoon, 2016), the experimental group received the COROOR computer-based cognitive rehabilitation program, while the control group underwent no intervention.  Immediately after the intervention, post-tests were performed on both groups. After three months, follow-up tests were performed on the groups. The data were analyzed using repeated measures multiple-analysis of variance.

Findings showed that 20 sessions of cognitive rehabilitation for orthographic and color detection tasks by COROOR software reduced spelling errors and improved visual-phonological processing in the experimental group at post-test and follow-up stages (p< 0.01)

According to the results, it can be said that the use of orthographic and color detection tasks by COROOR computer-based cognitive rehabilitation is effective for the spelling and visual-phonological processing of students with dyslexia and dysorthographia. As a result, it can be recommended as a useful rehabilitation method to specialists and therapists in the field of specific learning disabilities.

Several studies indicate that the socioeconomic status of parents and the prevalence of Internet and cyberspace use have reduced childrenchr('39')s tendency to mobility and physical activity; accordingly, the present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between Internet use and socioeconomic status of parents and the exercise tendency of primary school students.

The present study was descriptive-correlational study. 230 students were selected by cluster sampling from among the fourth to sixth grade students of Rasht city in the academic year 2019-2020. Internet Addiction Test (Kimberly Young, 1998), Socio-Economic Status Questionnaire (Ghodratnam, 2013), and Exercise Tendency Questionnaire (Naji, 2010) were used to collect the data. Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data.

Results of multiple regression analysis showed that the income and education level of parents predicted 0.013 and 0.027 of the variance of the childrenchr('39')s exercise tendency, respectively (p <0.05). The results of this study also showed that there is no significant relationship between the exercise tendency and addiction to cyberspace.

Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the socioeconomic status of parents can have direct and indirect impact on the exercise tendency level and physical activity of children.

Childhood Behavior problems can have long-term effects on the behavioral, physical, and cognitive functions of the children and lead to the experiences of failure and feelings of inadequacy during their school years. Continuation of this situation adversely affects the child's perception of himself as an active, alert, and willful person and exacerbates his problems. Thus, the present study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of narrative therapy on reducing behavior problems and improving self-perception in students.

The present study was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest control group design. From the study population that including all fourth-grade male students in Shiraz city in the academic year 2019-2020, 30 were selected by convenience sampling and then randomly placed in the experimental and control groups (15 per group). The experimental group underwent twelve 60- min sessions of narrative therapy, while the control group received no treatment. Data were collected by Harter's Self-Perception Profile (1989) and the Behavior Problems Questionnaire of Shahim and Yousefi (1999). Data were analyzed by ANCOVA and MANCOVA in SPSS 23.

The results of data analysis showed that narrative therapy was effective on self-perception and increased this component in students (p<0.001). Also, narrative therapy was effective on behavior problems and its components (fear and attention deficit) and reduced these components in the students (p<0.01).

Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that narrative therapy reduces fear and problems related to attention deficit in children and ultimately improves their relationship with others, resulting in a increases of their self-perception. Therefore, use of narrative therapy is suggested for decreasing the behavior problems and increasing the self-perception in students.