مجله سلامت جامعه
سال پانزدهم شماره 4 (زمستان 1400)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an incapacitating chronic disorder. Traffic accidents are one of the most common causes of mental disorders associated with trauma. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effect of cognitive-existential therapy on mental pain and self-criticism in women with symptoms of PTSD.

The research was quasi-experimental, based on the pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all women with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder due to road accidents admitted to the neurology clinic of Farabi Educational and Medical Center in Kermanshah in 2020. Using the availability sampling method, 30 people were selected and randomly divided (lottery method) into an experimental group (n=15) and a control group (n=15). They completed the mental pain questionnaire (Orbach et al, 2003), the self-criticism questionnaire (Zuroff and Thompson, 2004), and the Traumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire (Reed and Norris, 1997). In the experimental group, cognitive-existential therapy was conducted in ten 1.5-hour sessions, 1 session per week, but the control group did not receive any medical intervention. At the end of the training, both groups underwent the post-test. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance.

The results showed that cognitive-existential therapy was effective in reducing the scores of total self-criticism (Eta=0.56, p=0.016, F=4.45) and the dimensions of internal and comparative self-criticism in the experimental group in the post-test. In addition, cognitive-existential therapy significantly reduced mental pain in the experimental group (Eta=0.63, p=0.001, F=13.33).

Cognitive-existential therapy seems to be a cost-effective, non-pharmacological and effective program that reduces mental pain and self-criticism in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Marital relations play an important role in the mental health of spouses and family strength. Cognitive-behavioral couple therapy (CBCT) can be effective in improving marital satisfaction by modifying cognitive and behavioral patterns. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of CBCT on love schemes and marital satisfaction of married women.

The present research is a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population of the study consists of all married women aged 25-40 years who were admitted to counseling centers in Tehran in 2018. Availability sampling was used to select 40 married women admitted to Psychological Services and Counseling Center in Tehran for marital problems. They were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group underwent ten 2-hour sessions of CBCT but the control group did not receive any intervention. The ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Love Scheme Scale were used to collect the data which were then analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance and SPSS software version 16.

Data analysis showed that there was a significant difference in the studied groups in the post-test stage in love schemes and marital satisfaction (F=1.71, Wilkes lambda=0.017, p<0.001). Thus, CBCT could significantly change the scores of love schemes and marital satisfaction in the experimental group.

Based on the results of this study, cognitive-behavioral couple therapy can be effective in improving the love schemes and marital satisfaction of married women. Therefore, this intervention can be used to improve and strengthen the couple's relationship.

Neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes mellitus. Syntaphillin is involved in the anchoring of mitochondria to microtubules. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of six weeks of endurance training on Syntaphillin expression in spinal cord tissue of rats with experimental diabetic neuropathy.

40 rats were randomly divided into four groups, diabetes control (DC), diabetes training (DT), healthy control (HC), and healthy training (HT). Induction of diabetes was performed by intraperitoneal injection of the Streptozotocin solution (45 mg/kg). Endurance training was performed for six weeks. Tail-Flick and Von Frey tests were used to measure thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia. The expression of Syntaphillin was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA.

Teal-flick and von-Frey tests showed that pain threshold was significantly reduced in diabetic groups compared to non-diabetic groups (p<0.05). After STZ injection, blood glucose in diabetic groups increased significantly compared to non-diabetic groups (p<0.05). At the end of the study, the weight of diabetic groups decreased significantly compared to non-diabetic groups (p<0.05). In addition, there was a significant difference in the expression of Syntaphilin between HT, DC, and DT groups with HC group (p=0.001), between HT and DT groups with DC group (p=0.001) and between HT group and DT group (p=0.002).

Endurance training improves neuropathic pain responses and increases the Syntaphilin expression in the spinal cord of diabetic rats. These findings can be considered as a treatment for the complications of diabetic neuropathy.

Sexual issues constitute an important component of women’s health and well-being, affecting the quantity and quality of marital relationships. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of teaching Feldman integrated approach on emotional intimacy and sexual function of middle-aged women.

This study was an educational trial with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all women admitted to Artiman Counseling and Psychological Services Center in Mashhad in 2020. Using the availability sampling method, 30 people were selected and divided into an experimental group (n=15) and a control group (n=15). All the subjects completed the Emotional Intimacy Questionnaire (Schaefer and Olson, 1981) and the Sexual Function Questionnaire (Rosen et al., 2000). In the experimental group, Feldman integrated approach was performed in 8 sessions (1 session per week, each session lasting 90 minutes). After the training, both groups underwent the post-test. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of covariance.

The results showed that teaching the integrated approach improved sexual function (F=7.58, p<0.011 & Eta=0.57) and increased emotional intimacy (F=39.42, p<0.001 & Eta=0.60) in women in the experimental group as compared to the control group.

According to the results, it is necessary to plan to use integrated approach training to increase emotional intimacy and improve the sexual function of middle-aged women.

Infertility is one of the major health problems causing many psychological problems and poor quality of life in couples. Due to the need for effective interventions to reduce these problems, the present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on the health-related quality of life in infertile women.

The present study was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design and follow-up with a control group. The study population included all infertile women admitted to infertility centers in Isfahan in 2019-2020. 40 women were selected using the availability sampling method and then randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group underwent 9 sessions of 120-minute commitment and acceptance treatment. Health-related quality of life questionnaire (SF-36) was used to collect data. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-26 software and Mixed Design.

The results of statistical analysis showed that with pre-test control, there was a significant difference between the mean scores of quality of life components in infertile women in the experimental and control groups (p<0.05). Acceptance and commitment therapy improved the quality of life in infertile women in the experimental group.

Accordingly, acceptance and commitment therapy can improve the quality of life of infertile women, and using this intervention can be effective in reducing psychological damage caused by infertility.

Diabetes is considered a major health threat, and one of the central issues relevant to this disease is the need for various psychological and physical strategies to boost patient self-care. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effectiveness of integrated meta-diagnostic therapy and hope therapy on coronavirus anxiety and self-care behavior in patients with type2 diabetes.

The present research is a quasi-experimental study based on the pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical sample was comprised of 45 members of Ahvaz Diabetes Association in 2020. They were selected using the purposive sampling method and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and a control group (each including 15 people). They completed Alipour et al.'s (2020) Coronavirus Anxiety Scale and the Toobert et al.'s (2000) Self-Care Behavior questionnaire as the pretest and the posttest. Integrated meta-diagnostic therapy was conducted in 12 sessions, once a week, and for 60 minutes, and Hope therapy, in 8 sessions, once a week and for 60 minutes. The data were analyzed using Multivariate and Univariate Analysis of Covariance.

Both therapies had a significant effect on reducing coronavirus anxiety and increasing self-care behavior (p<0.001). Hope therapy was more effective in increasing self-care behavior, but there was no significant difference between these two therapies regarding self-care behavior (p<0.001).

Overall, the findings provide empirical support for both therapies in reducing coronavirus anxiety and improving self-care behavior. Moreover, the knowledge of psychotherapists in the field of safety and health of these approaches can be helpful.

In childhood, psychological factors contribute to the development of some problems such as behavioral disorders. This study aimed to determine the effect of teaching emotion-based processing strategies on perceived stress and aggression of male students with conduct disorder in Zahedan in 2019.

The present study was a quasi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of this study included all children aged 7 to 8 years with behavioral disorders at Zahedan Correctional Center in 2018. The research sample included 30 people who were selected by simple random sampling method and were randomly divided into an experimental group (15 people) and a control groups (15 people). Questionnaires for collecting data from the sample group included Cohen's perceived stress scale (1983) scale, Comark and Marmelstein (1983), and Bass and Perry's aggression questionnaire (1992). Both groups underwent perceived stress test and aggression test. Then 8 sessions of emotion processing training (one session per week for two hours) were held for the experimental group. The control group did not receive any training. For statistical analysis of the data, covariance analysis was conducted using SPSS-23 software.

Mean and standard deviation of perceived stress variable in the experimental group was 33.13 + 5.91 in the pre-test and 19.73 + 6.36 in the post-test, and in the control group it was 20.29 + 9.33 in the pre-test and 29.13 + 8.32 in the post-test. The mean and standard deviation of the aggression variable of the experimental group was 99.86 + 11.06 in the pre-test and 66.20 + 12.67 in the post-test, and in the control group, it was 99.13 + 11.86 in the pre-test and 97.73 + 11.54 in the post-test. The results also showed that teaching emotion-based processing strategies reduced cognitive stress and aggression (p<0.01).

Since the training of emotion processing strategies has reduced perceived stress and aggression in boys, this intervention is recommended to reduce children behavior disorders.

Adolescence is a period in which the prevalence of self-harming and aggressive behaviors increases due to physical, psychological, and social changes. Acceptance and commitment therapy is an intervention that may work for these people. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment-based therapy on aggression and cognitive flexibility of female students with self-injurious behavior in high school in Shiraz.

This was a quasi-experimental study with pre-test, post-test, follow-up, and control group. The statistical population of this study included all adolescent girls aged 14-18 years referred to the Education Counseling Clinic in Shiraz in the academic year 2020-2021. By purposive sampling method, 30 people were purposefully selected and divided into two groups of experimental (15 people) and control (15 people). The research instruments included the Aggression Questionnaire and the Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire, which were completed by the participants in the pre-test, post-test, and two-month follow-up stages. In the experimental group, acceptance and commitment therapy was performed in 8 sessions of 90 minutes, while the control group did not receive treatment. Repeated measure ANOVA was used to analyze the data.

The time effect source, group effect source, and time effect group and source interaction test results were significant in aggression and flexibility scores at the level of 0.001. In the experimental group, in the post-test stage, aggression scores decreased while flexibility increased compared to the pre-test.

According to the results, acceptance and commitment therapy effectively reduced aggression and increased flexibility in students with self-injurious behavior. Therefore, acceptance and commitment therapy can be used to minimize psychological damage in adolescents.