Iranian Journal of Practice in Clinical Psychology
Volume:10 Issue: 3, Summer 2022

This study aimed to compare the executive functions of bilingual and monolingual children.

We recruited 200 children, all under 5 years old, who participated in a cross-sectional study. These participants were separated into two groups based on their enrollment in a second language program. Group one consisted of children enrolled in a second language program (Mean±SD age: 9.86±2.69). Group two consisted of children who did not enroll in any second language program (Mean±SD age: 9.63±3.21). Participants’ executive functioning was assessed using the behavior rating inventory of executive function. The demographics and the socioeconomic status of all participants have been collected via parental reports.

Bilingual children scored higher in the components of inhibition, shift of attention, emotional control, initiation, working memory, strategic planning, organization of materials, and monitoring. Also, their total score was higher compared to monolingual children.

Early exposure to a second language program during childhood enhances executive functions.

Some stressors, such as COVID-19, can cause anxiety and health concerns. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between hardiness and stress of COVID-19 by mediating the role of mindfulness in Iranian students.

We conducted cross-sectional research for this study. Data were gathered from the student populations of 2020-2021, which comprised the statistical population. A convenience sampling method was used to select the participants based on the information obtained from online self-report tools. Students from Iranian universities were asked to participate in an online survey using Internet advertisements, e-mails, forums, social networks, and short message services. Participants were 414 university students. All respondents completed the mindful attention awareness scale, the COVID-19 stress scale, and the personal views survey. We carried out an analysis of the data based on independent t-tests, Pearson correlations, as well as regression tests.

It was found that there was a significant correlation between all variables and COVID-19 stress levels. It is worth noting that most of these correlations were in a moderate range. Structural equation modeling showed the overall effects of hardiness on the stress of COVID-19 (β=-0.536, P=0.001), the indirect effects (β=-0.177, P=0.002), and the direct effects of hardiness on the stress of COVID-19 (β=-0.365, P=0.009) were significant. 

Considering these findings, we have clarified the role of mindfulness in affecting the hardiness and stress of COVID-19 among Iranian students. This study recommends implementing virtual and electronic mindfulness training workshops to reduce the stress associated with COVID-19 and increase psychological hardiness using these tools.

The global pandemic has impacted variously on students’ experiences of education globally. At this time, we must continue to isolate the key components contributing to supporting students’ academic performance so that education systems can begin to reduce the impact of this pandemic on children’s lives.

We used the ex post facto research to compare hope, executive functions, and procrastination between students with high and low academic performances. The authors hope to contribute positively to rebuilding our education system as we move to a post-pandemic phase. The statistical population consisted of students with high and low academic performances at the University of Bojnurd, Bojnurd City, Iran, from 2019 to 2020. A total of 85 students were selected as samples using the available sampling method. The research data were collected using the behavior rating inventory of executive function for adults, the procrastination assessment scale for students, and the domain-specific hope scale.

The results showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups of students regarding the mean scores of executive functions and academic procrastination. In this regard, the scores of executive functions were reduced, but the academic procrastination in students with low performance was significantly higher than the high-performance students. The group factor predicted a significant amount of variance in the examined components. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the hope variable except for the academic hope subscale.

The results have implications for understanding students’ academic performances and the use of interventions that can improve students’ outcomes in the future.

Mental health refers to emotional balance and social adjustment, feeling comfortable, the absence of mental illness, the integration of personality, and the knowledge of self and the environment. This study aimed to investigate the opinions and experiences of Iranian Oil Company retirees about psychological wellbeing.

This qualitative study was conducted using the grounded theory approach. The participants in this study were 15 retired senior managers of the National Iranian Oil Company in Tehran who were selected through purposive sampling based on the theoretical saturation criterion in 2021. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and were analyzed using Corbin and Strauss method (1998).

Data analysis revealed three selective codes, 11 axial codes, and 67 open codes. The selective codes include self-coherence and the balance between life needs and satisfaction with the current situation, contextual factors promoting psychological health in older adults, and the process of achieving psychological health and wellbeing in older adults.

The insights from present research can be used for developing and implementing therapeutic and educational models for elders and recognizing retirement concerns. In addition, understanding the opinions and experiences of the psychological wellbeing of elders helps the healthcare system and social welfare professionals to realize the retirees’ psychological needs.

The current study was designed to explain the causal relationship between irrational beliefs and marital satisfaction based on the mediating role of conflict resolution behavior and marital stress.

The research had a descriptive-correlational design, and the study’s statistical population consisted of all married men and women living in Tehran City, Iran, in 2019. Of whom, 933 people were selected based on the available method. The research instruments consisted of the first version of the Jones irrational beliefs questionnaire, the conflict tactics scales (Straus, 1979), the Stockholm female marital stress scale, and the marital satisfaction questionnaire.

The present study’s data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results of the present study revealed that all fit indexes of the structural equation modeling analysis supported the goodness fit of the structural model of the collected data (χ2/df=2.82, comparative fit index [CFI]= 0.947, goodness-of-fit index (GFI)=0.946, adjusted goodness-of-fit index [AGFI]= 0.910, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA]=0.072). In the present study, the indirect path coefficient between irrational beliefs and marital satisfaction through conflict behavior (β=-0.071, P<0.05) and the path coefficient of both through marital stress (β=-0.127, P<0.01) was negative and significant, respectively at the levels of 0.05 and 0.01.

Both variables of conflict behavior and marital stress negatively and significantly mediated the relationship between irrational beliefs and marital satisfaction.

The prevalence and increase of suicidal ideation and attempts among young people and students have been one of the concerns of researchers and mental health care professionals. The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Persian version of Reasons for Living for Young Adults-II (RFL-YA-II) in a group of Iranian students. 

This study was conducted on a sample of 250 students of Kurdistan University, Iran in the academic year 2021-2022. The instruments used in this study were RFL-YA-II, suicide behaviors questionnaire-revised (SBQ-R), oxford happiness questionnaire-short form (OHQ-SF), beck hopelessness scale (BHS), and ryff scale of psychological wellbeing (RSPWB).

The results of confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a four-factor structure of the Persian version of RFL-YA-II, while the goodness of fit indices of the one-factor model were not satisfactory. The factor loads of items related to all four factors ranged from 0.41 to 0.91. The findings also provided evidence for the convergent (0.17 to 0.57) and discriminant (-0.20 to -0.56) validity, and Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged from 0.86 to 0.91.

The Persian version of RFL-YA-II is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the reasons for living in Iranian university samples and it can be used in research and treatment settings.

Most studies have focused only on the neuroticism superstructure and the reduction of its symptoms, while there is no comprehensive model on the treatment of neuroticism infrastructurally. This research aimed to develop an identity-based psychodrama package and compare the effect of this therapy with psychodrama on neuroticism.

This research consists of five studies. The first study was qualitative research with Attride-Stirling’s thematic analysis method. The research community in this stage for analyzing themes affecting identity achievement included all papers related to identity aspects. The second study was a qualitative content analysis based on an inductive approach through a semi-structured interview with neurotic individuals. The third study was a quantitative analysis, and an educational-therapeutic package was developed. The fourth study was of validation type with Lawshe’s method. The population in this stage included all specialized psychologists in identity issues. The last study was a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest type with a control group and a follow-up period of 60 days. The population in this stage included all people referred to Pendar Nik Counseling Center in Najafabad City, Isfahan Province, Iran, in 2020. Finally, 60 people were selected and randomly assigned into 2 experimental groups and 1 control group. To collect data, the 5-factor inventory was used.

The first study’s results suggested 8 general themes, and with additional information in the second study, the identity-based psychodrama package was developed in the third study. The results of the fourth study indicated the validity of the package by the evaluators. The results of the previous study showed that the mean scores of neuroticism in the two experimental groups significantly differed from the control group scores. Besides, identity-based psychodrama was more effective in reducing neuroticism than psychodrama (P<0.001).

Compared with psychodrama, the identity-based psychodrama package is more effective in reducing neuroticism.

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the Training in Marriage Enrichment (TIME) plan on increasing marital intimacy and psychological security of married women. 

The present research was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The study subjects (40 married women living in Mashhad City, Iran) were selected for the TIME plan with the available sampling method and according to the criteria for accepting couples. Then, they were randomly allocated to two equal groups. Of these, 20 were in the experimental group and 20 in the control group. The experimental group, along with regular medical care, received TIME plan for 8 weekly sessions of 2 hours (from May up to the end of July 2021) in the Psychology Clinic of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad City, Iran. The control group received only regular medical care in this period. Both groups responded to the Iranian version of the Bagarozzi marital intimacy needs questionnaire, and Maslow’s psychological security-insecurity questionnaire before the intervention (pretest) and immediately after the intervention (posttest).

After controlling the subjects’ age and education, the results of the statistical analysis showed a significant effect of the TIME plan on increasing the marital intimacy of women who were in the experimental group compared to the control group (P=0.001). Nevertheless, this plan did not increase women’s psychological security (P>0.05).

The findings of this research show the importance and impact of the TIME plan training on increasing women’s marital intimacy, but it does not increase women’s psychological security. Therefore, in marriage counseling and interventions, it is possible to use the educational package of the TIME plan to improve the relationship of couples and increase their intimacy.