International Journal of Behavioral Sciences
Volume:16 Issue: 4, Winter 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesized model of the causal relationship between mothers' reflective functioning and resilience of children with cancer through mothers’ empathy.
The present descriptive and correlational study lay within the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) framework. For this purpose, 207 mothers of children aged 5 to 12 years with cancer who had referred to Mahak Hospital and Tehran Children's Medical Center joined this study. Participants completed the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (2017), the Child and Youth Resilience Measure-Revised Person Most Knowledgeable version (2018), and the Empathy Quotient Questionnaire (2004). The statistical procedures were run in SPSS21 and AMOS22.
The results showed that the hypothetical model has a good fit with the data. Based on the findings of this study, it is presumed that due to the positive impact of mothers' reflective functioning on their psychological abilities and interpersonal relationships, strengthening this capacity can lead to improved resilience in children with cancer.
According to the findings of the present study, mothers' empathy plays a mediating role in the relationship between mother's reflective functioning and children’s resilience.

The present study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) on marital adjustment of couples with the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This quasi-experimental study was carried out on couples referred to the Psychological Services Center of Oil Hospital in Tehran, 2020. Thirty couples were selected by purposive sampling and were randomly assigned to three groups: IBCT and EFT groups, and the control group. Two experimental groups received 20 sessions of 90-minute treatment. Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (MOCI) and Dyadic marital Adjustment Scale (DAS) of Spanier were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance. The results showed that EFT was more effective in increasing marital adjustment than IBCT (P <0.01). Likewise, EFT was more effective than IBCT in increasing the subscales of marital satisfaction, cohesion and affectional expression (P <0.05); while the agreement showed that there was no significant difference between the two therapy groups and the control group (P > 0.05). The findings of the present study indicate that both approaches of therapy can increase the marital adjustment in couples with OCD. Considering the greater effectiveness of EFT, it is recommended to use this therapy in the training programs of therapists to treat problems of couples.

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Couple Therapy (CBCT) and Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) on the communication patterns of couples with extramarital relationships. This semi-experimental study was conducted on all couples referred to counseling centers in Mashhad, 2020. For this purpose, 39 couples were selected by convenience method and were randomly divided into two experimental groups and one control group. The experimental groups were subjected to treatment protocol intervention and the control group was not subjected to any intervention. The Communication Patterns Questionnaire (CPQ) of Christensen and Sullaway (1984) was used for collecting data. Data were analyzed through one way ANCOVA and SPSS software. There was a significant difference between the scores of mutually constructive communication pattern, avoidance and expectation/withdrawal in the groups of CBCT and IBCT with control group (P<0.05). The results showed that CBCT is more effective on the mutually constructive pattern; while the IBCT group had a higher effect on the avoidance and expectation/withdrawal pattern (P=0.001). According to the findings of the present study, as infidelity in a couple’s relationship is a multi-causal and combined issue, using these two approaches is suggested to be used in order to investigate infidelity more comprehensively.

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is the most important marker for monitoring long-term blood Glucose level control in diabetes. Currently, psychological approaches along with medical science play a significant role in the symptoms of diabetes. The present study compared the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Reality Therapy (RT) on HbA1c level in Type 2 Diabetic (T2D) patients. This semi-experimental study was conducted on 100 patients referred to diabetes clinics in Torbat Heydarieh, 2020. For this purpose, 60 patients were selected using the available method and were randomly allocated into two experimental groups and one control group (equally 20 people in each group). Data collection tools included the blood glycosylated hemoglobin test and demographic information. Data analysis was done using SPSS and covariance analysis. Findings revealed that there is a significant difference between the HbA1c scores of ACT, RT with control groups in T2D patients. The mean of HbA1c after the intervention in the ACT group significantly decreased compared to the RT group (P<0.05). The results of this study showed that ACT is more effective in T2D patients than RT. Therefore, this technique can be used in order to improve the control indicators of T2D patients.

This study was carried out in order to investigate the online "marital enrichment package with a cultural approach" on the sexual behaviors of women suffering from sexual distress.
In this randomized clinical trial, 79 women were recruited. Forty were assigned to the experimental group and attended the four-week program (6 hours), and 39 were assigned to the control group. Sexual behaviours, sexual scripts, and sexual distress were determined by a questionnaire that was completed before and after, eight and 12 weeks post intervention. The control group received the intervention based on the sexual health model post experiment. Independent samples t-test were used for statistical analysis.
According to the findings of the present study, significant differences were observed between the groups for the scores of sexual behavior in the follow-ups (P=.001; F=26.582).
The utilization of the four-session culture-oriented marital enrichment packa significantly improved sexual behaviors, altered sexual scripts, and decreased sexual distress. Our findings provide the basis for a larger Randomized-Controlled Trial (RCT) with a longer follow-up period among couples.

The aging process is an important phenomenon in global health. In fact, the psychological and physical well-being of elderly women must be taken into consideration. This study was conducted in order to determine the effect of Mindfulness-Based Compassion-Therapy (MBCT) on sleep quality and satisfaction with life in elderly women.
This study was a quasi-experimental investigation with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up along with a control group. For this purpose, 15 elderly women were randomly assigned to the intervention or the control group. The intervention group received mindfulness-based compassion- therapy over eight weeks, one session per week, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI; 1989) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; 1985) were completed by elderly women to evaluate the research variables during the intervention’s pre-test, post-test, and follow-up periods. Descriptive statistics, Levene’s test, Box’s M Test, Bonferroni, and repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS-22 were used for data analysis. In the control group, no therapy was applied. After the intervention, both groups were tested.
Findings showed that the intervention group’s mean sleep quality and satisfaction with life improved after mindfulness training. In addition, the study revealed that the mean sleep quality and satisfaction with life levels between the intervention and control groups were significantly different (p<0.01).
According to the results of the present study, mindfulness-based compassion- therapy improved sleep quality and satisfaction with the life of elderly women. This intervention represents new horizons in psychological interventions and can improve the mental health and well-being of elderly women.

Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) have deep effects on mothers' negative emotions and mental health due to problems such as restlessness, lack of attention and impulsivity. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of emotion regulation training on negative emotions and mental health in the mothers of children with ODD. This semi-experimental study was carried out on mothers suffering from ODD referred to the education and training clinics of Mashhad, 2020. To do so, 40 people were selected by purposive sampling and were randomly placed in two experimental and control groups. Data were collected using the children's oppositional defiant disorder scale Homersen (2006), the Watson, Clark Wetelgen (1988) negative affect scale, and the Goldberg and Hiller mental health scale (1979). For the experimental group, emotion regulation training was held in eight sessions of 90 minutes; however the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analyzed by SPSS-21 software, and the covariance analysis method. Findings revealed that emotion regulation training can improve mental health and its components such as excessive support, excessive negligence, rejection and acceptance in the mothers of children with ODD; while the emotion regulation training decreased negative emotion in mothers (p<0.001). Emotion regulation training with increasing knowledge and flexibility of mothers of children with ODD led to improvement of mental health and reduction of negative emotions.

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Domestic Violence-Focused Couples’ Treatment (DVFCT) on marital violence, mental health, and sexual intimacy of couples with marital maladjustment. A single-case non-concurrent multiple-baseline design was adopted. The statistical population comprised all volunteering couples with marital maladjustment visiting counseling centers in Ahvaz (Iran) in 2021. After screening, two eligible couples (4 people) were purposively selected. The therapy protocol was administered to all the participants in two phases (18 intervention sessions) and four stages (baseline, intervention, a 45-day first follow-up, and a three-month second follow-up.) The participants were assessed before the therapy, on sessions 4, 8, 12, 16, and 18, and on the 45-day and 3-month follow-up. The Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, Couples' Sexual Intimacy Questionnaire, and the Violence against Women Questionnaire were used to collect data. The data were analyzed visually using the reliable change index and the improvement percentage formula. The DVFCT significantly improved mental health and sexual intimacy and reduced marital violence, an effect that persisted through the follow-up stages (p < 0.001). The present study achieved promising results concerning the applicability of DVFCT. This therapy can thus mitigate couples’ marital violence and promote their mental health and sexual intimacy.