Avicenna Journal of Neuro Psycho Physiology
Volume:9 Issue: 3, Aug 2022

This study aimed to explore the role of spiritual intelligence and positive thinking in the psychological hardiness of women who have recovered from addiction.

This study was conducted based on a descriptive-correlational design. The research population included women who had quit addiction in addiction treatment centers in Districts 8 and 13 of Tehran in 2021. The participants were 150 women who were selected using simple random sampling. The data were collected using the Self-Report Measure of Spiritual Intelligence, Positive Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire, and Psychological Hardiness Scale. The collected data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation test and synchronous multiple regression analysis by SPSS Software (V. 21).

The results showed that spiritual intelligence and positive thinking are significant predictors of psychological hardiness of women recovered from addiction (F=59.09; P<0.001). It was also revealed that psychological hardiness is positively correlated with the dimensions of spiritual intelligence and components of positive thinking (P<0.001).

Following the findings of the present study, it can be suggested that spiritual intelligence and positive thinking can play a constructive and critical role in the recovery process of women with substance abuse. Moreover, spiritual intelligence and positive thinking can predict psychological hardiness in women quitting the addiction.

Aggressive behavior is considered one of the fundamental social problems in any society that is specifically noted due to its importance in childhood and adolescence period. The current research was performed to present the aggression model in teenagers to determine the relationship between emotional intelligence, emotional regulation, communicative skills, self-efficacy, and parents’ performance with the mediating role of avoidance insecure attachment style.

The present correlational study was conducted using structural equation modeling. The population of the research consisted of all female high school students of Tehran city, Iran, in the academic year of 2019-20. The samples were selected using a cluster random sampling method (n=384). The instruments used in this research to collect the required data included the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, Bar-on Emotional Quotient Inventory, Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Communicative Skills Questionnaire, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Adult Attachment Scale, and Family Assessment Device. The data analysis was carried out in LISREL 8.80 software using Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling.

The results showed that emotional intelligence (β=-0.42, P<0.001), emotion regulation (β=-0.39, P<0.001), communication skills (β=-0.37, P<0.001), self-efficacy (β= 0.43, P<0.001), and avoidance insecure attachment style (β=-0.45, P<0.001) had a negative and inverse effect on aggression.

Based on the findings of the study, emotional intelligence, emotional regulation, communicative skills, self-efficacy, and parents’ performance with the mediating role of avoidance insecure attachment style could be an appropriate model for aggression in teenagers

Chronic diseases, including cancer, affect the lives of millions of people as a major source of stress. However, Frederickson’s positive emotions training can increase the resilience and psychological capital of these patients.

This study aimed to determine the effect of Frederickson’s positive emotion training program on the resilience and psychological capital of patients with breast cancer in Bandar Abbas, Iran.

This is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test and post-test design and a control group conducted in Bandar Abbas in 2019. There were 15 women with breast cancer in each group of intervention and control, with the same severity and level of disease. The study instruments included the Luthans Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) and the Connor and Davidson Resilience Scale. The validity and reliability of these tools have been investigated in previous studies. Frederickson’s Positive Emotions Training was held in nine sessions (90 min a month). Questionnaires were completed in the first and ninth stages of intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22) through descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics by analysis of covariance.

Based on the obtained results, Frederickson’s positive emotion training program increased resilience (Eta=0.82, P<0.001) and the psychological capital (Eta=0.77, P<0.001) of patients with breast cancer.

It can be concluded that the positive emotion training program can improve the resilience and the psychological capital of patients with breast cancer. It is recommended that this program should be used to improve the psychological problems of cancer patients.

This study aimed to predict math anxiety based on task self-efficacy, knowledge, and cognitive regulation in female students.

The statistical population in this descriptive-correlational study included all female first-grade high school students (n=510) in Tuyserkan City of Hamedan, Iran, in the academic year 2018-2019, of whom 217 students were selected as the sample using multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data collection tools included the Usher and Pajares Mathematics Self-Efficacy Scale, Abolghasemi Mathematical Exam Anxiety Scale, and Meta-cognitive Beliefs Questionnaire of Schraw and Dennison. Pearson correlation coefficient and simultaneous multiple regression model were used to test the research hypotheses. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 20).

The results of the analysis indicated a positive and significant relationship between meta-cognitive (cognitive knowledge and cognitive regulation) beliefs and students’ mathematical task self-efficacy with mathematical anxiety. However, the models of meta-cognitive beliefs and mathematical self-efficacy could not predict the students’ mathematical anxiety. In addition, each variable of meta-cognitive belief and mathematical self-efficacy alone could not explain the mathematical anxiety in students.

Based on the findings of the present study and those obtained in the previous studies, it can be concluded that students with high self-efficacy can control their anxiety in anxious situations better than those with low self-efficacy.

Irritable bowel syndrome is the most common digestive system disorder. Despite the long period of study in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, only a small number of treatments have proven effective. The current study aimed to compare the effectiveness of reality therapy and compassion-focused therapy in the reduction of depression, anxiety, stress, and physical symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

The present study was conducted on 45 patients with irritable bowel syndrome (diagnosed by a gastroenterologist applying the Rome III criteria) who were assigned to two experimental groups: reality therapy (n=15) and compassion-focused therapy (n=15), as well as the control group (n=15). The experimental groups received eight sessions of reality therapy and compassion-focused therapy. All three groups responded to the Severity of Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS-SI) and Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale(DASS-42)  as pre-post and follow-up tests.

The results of the repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated a significantly lower mean score in depression, anxiety, stress, and physical symptoms among the experimental group in the post-test. The follow-up test administered eight weeks after the post-test did not show any change in the results.

The obtained results supported the effectiveness of reality therapy and compassion-focused therapy in the reduction of depression, anxiety, stress, and physical symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. There was also no significant difference in the efficacy of these two treatments.

Migraine headache (MH) is a common disorder that is observed with severe pains at different levels of disability that can affect a person's performance. In this context, the present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on pain catastrophizing and job satisfaction of employees with MH.

The present semi-experimental research was conducted based on a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The study's statistical population included all employees with MH in Tehran in 2020. The study sample included 30 patients with headaches who were selected using the available sampling method and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The required data were collected using pain catastrophizing and job satisfaction questionnaires. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of MBCT, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Finally, the obtained data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance.

The results of the present study showed that MBCT significantly reduced pain catastrophizing and increased job satisfaction among employees with MH (P<0.01).

Based on the findings, it can be concluded that MBCT was able to reduce the catastrophizing of pain and increase the job satisfaction of employees. For this purpose, it is suggested to hold workshops and programs by psychologists and specialists for employees with MH.

The present research aimed to predict women's sexual dysfunction based on perceived stress and body dysmorphic disorder.

The research population consisted of all 6,698 married women students of Hamedan Azad University, Hamedan, Iran, in 2020, of which 106 individuals were selected as the research sample (this number increased to 120 as a precaution). Sexual Function Scale, Perceived Stress, and Assessment of Body Dysmorphic were considered to collect data. Pearson correlation coefficient and regression analysis were used to analyze the collected data.

The results analysis showed that perceived stress is a significant and negative predictor of sexual dysfunction. Body dysmorphic variable could not be a significant predictor of sexual dysfunction. A negative and significant relationship was observed between sexual dysfunction and perceived stress.

The relationship direction indicated that the higher the score of women's sexual function, the lower their mean perceived stress. In addition, no significant relationship at the level of 0.01 was observed between perceived body dysfunction and sexual dysfunction, and between perceived stress and body dysmorphic disorder.