Journal of Research in Psychopathology
Volume:1 Issue: 2, Autumn 2020

Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that includes a persistent attention-deficit or hyperactivity, which happens in childhood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of visual perception training in the improvement of the working memory of students with Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This was an experimental research with pre-test, post-test and control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all preschool male children with ADHD enrolled in preschool educational level in the city of Ardabil, among whom 30 participants were selected using screening method, after completing the structured clinical interview. They were randomly assigned, in equal numbers, into experimental and control groups. The intervention group received visual perception exercises for ten 45-minute sessions. The control group did not receive any intervention. The tools used in this study were the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Revised (Digit span) and the Conners' Parent Rating Scale-Revised: Short Form (CPRS-R: S). Data were analyzed using univariate analysis of variance. The results showed that visual perception training was effective in improving the working memory of children with ADHD. Therefore, in addition to other training methods, visual perception can be used to improve the working memory of children with ADHD.

The prevalence of Corona disease (COVID-19) is on the rise around the world, and the unknown nature of this disease exacerbates people's anxiety about it. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of corona anxiety and its related demographic factors in the general population of Mashhad city in the spring of 2020. The method of this research is descriptive and of survey type. The population of this study included all citizens of Mashhad in the spring of 2020. 517 people were selected for the study through convenience sampling via social networks. The participants answered the online questionnaires of demographic characteristics and Corona disease anxiety scale (CDAS). The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tests such as frequency, frequency percentage, Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis based on cut-off point of CDAS by SPSS software, Ver. 25. The results showed that the prevalence of corona anxiety among the citizens of Mashhad is 28.82%. Corona anxiety rate in men and women was 31.17% and 24.87%, respectively. Women significantly had more corona anxiety than men (p = 0.001). The prevalence of corona anxiety was not significantly related to marital status (p = 0.13). Corona anxiety was more common in people with high school diploma or lower education (p = 0.001) and there was no significant difference among different ages in terms of corona anxiety prevalence (p = 0.25). The results of the present study show that about one third of the citizens of Mashhad have corona anxiety and this rate is higher in women and people with lower education. The results of this study indicate the need for effective strategies to deal with the increasing prevalence of corona anxiety and its consequences

Based on DSM-5, specific learning disorder is a kind of neurodevelopmental disorder that begins by school age. It can potentially lead to persistent problems throughout person’s life, including emotional, social and academic problems. Hence the aim of this research is to study cognitive-executive functions of frontal-parietal lobes among students with specific learning disorders and normal students. This study is a descriptive and causal-comparative research. The population under study included all male 5th-graders with specific learning disorders in Ardabil city (2018-2019). The sample included 80 students (40 normal students and 40 students with specific learning disorders) selected through multistage cluster sampling. The data collection was performed through Wechsler’s subtests of similarities, mazes, and visual puzzles and Bender-Gestalt Test as well as the Tower of London Test and a diagnostic interview based on DSM-5. With regard to cognitive-perceptive functions of frontal-parietal lobes, the results of Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) indicated that there was a significant difference between students with specific learning disorders and normal students. On the other hand, cognitive-perceptive functions of frontal-parietal lobes in students with specific learning disorders (p < 0.001) were significantly weaker than those of normal students. The results showed that malfunctioning mental mechanism related to cognitive-executive functions can cause such a disability; hence, it is necessary for curriculum developers and psychologists to give due attention to this issue and develop new methods of training to increase such functions as organizing, planning, logical reasoning and spatial understanding etc.

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cognitive-behavioral training on the symptoms of ADHD in preschool children. The research method was quasi-experimental including pretest-posttest with control group. The population of this study included 2102 girls and boys in preschool centers of Meshgin Shahr (1104 boys and 998 girls) in 105 classes. By cluster sampling, 30 participants (15 in the experimental group and 15 in the control group) were randomly selected and were divided into control and experimental groups. For data collection, the Connors Parent-Teacher Scale was used, and for the cognitive-behavioral training, the Peter J. Billing Training Package was used and the data was analyzed by multivariate covariance (MANCOVA). The results showed that cognitive-behavioral training had a significant effect on the symptoms of ADHD (p < 0.05). Therefore, from the results, it is concluded that cognitive-behavioral training significantly reduced the symptoms of ADHD in preschool children.

Given the vulnerability of female adolescents and the great sensitivity of suicidal ideation, it seems essential to study the etiology of this tendency and take precise actions to reduce and control it. Hence, the present study was conducted to investigate the role of parental authority and psychological symptoms in anticipating the suicidal ideation of female adolescents. The research method was descriptive-correlational and the population consisted of all female secondary school students in Naghadeh during the 2019-2020 academic year. Of this population, a sample consisting of 120 people was selected using multistage cluster sampling. The Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI), Buri Parental Authority Questionnaire and the Mental Disorders Checklist-Short Form were used to collect data and multiple regression was used to analyze the data. The results showed that the tendency for suicidal ideation had a negative relationship with parental authority and a positive relationship with psychological symptoms (p < 0.01). Regression results also indicated that 24% of the variance in adolescent suicidal ideation was explained by parental authority and psychological symptoms (p < 0.05). Thus, based on the results, special attention should be paid to the subject of adolescence in addition to parenting styles so as to prevent high-risk actions especially suicidal ideation among adolescent girls by preventing the occurrence of pathological consequences and symptoms and creating a favorable state of mental health.

This study examined the psychometric properties of the parent version of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale [SCAS-P] as part of the process of developing the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale for Parents in a community sample of Iranian children; 315 mothers and children aged six to ten years participated in the study. The results of confirmatory factor analysis provided support for six inter-correlated factors, that corresponded with the child self-report as well as with the classification of anxiety disorders by DSM-IV namely separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, social phobia, panic/agoraphobia, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and fear of physical injuries. The SCAS-P demonstrated moderate to high internal consistency (alpha = 0.65–0.89) and test–retest reliability (interclass correlation coefficients = 0.39–0.68 over 2 weeks). Evidence was found for both convergent and divergent validity: the measure correlated well with the parent report for internalizing symptoms, and lower with externalizing symptoms. A MANOVA indicated no significant gender or age differences for the total scale score or any subscale scores. The SCAS-P is recommended as a screening instrument for normal children.