فصلنامه روان شناسی بالینی
سال دوم شماره 4 (پیاپی 8، زمستان 1389)

There are several approaches in couple therapy, which family therapy researchers have been investigating their reliability and efficacy for years. One of these approaches is Bornstein Behavioral-Communication Couple Therapy. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of this therapy on marital conflicts in couples of Ahvaz city. The population of this research was all couples of Ahvaz city who were replied to researcher's summon for reducing their marital conflicts. The study sample was included 28 couples (56 men and women) who were randomly selected among volunteers with one standard deviation marital conflicts score above the population mean. Participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Inclusion criteria were included: at least 2 years marriage history and having at least one child. All participants were filled the Marital Conflict Questionnaire (MCQ) in a pre-test/post-test design with control group. At first, MCQ was administered on both experimental and control groups. Then the experimental group was received 8 weekly sessions (2 hours) of Bornstein Behavioral-Communication Couple Therapy. Finally, a post-test was administered after therapy sessions on all groups. An analysis of covariance and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) were shown that Bornstein behavioral-communication couple therapy reduced the marital conflicts and its components. Results were shown that Bornstein behavioral-communication couple therapy is an effective therapy for reduction of marital conflicts in couples

Cognitive Couple Therapy is a common treatment for decreasing the psychological problems, including depression and cognitive restructuring of couples, by therapists and family counselors. This research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive couple therapy on decreasing depression level, and increasing marital satisfaction in couples referring to family counseling and intervention center of Fayazbakhsh Well-being Complex in Ahvaz City. A sample of 20 couples was randomly selected among those referring to center of Fayazbakhsh Well-being Complex. Participants were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. Prior to experimental intervention (cognitive couple therapy), all couple's depression level and their marital satisfaction were assessed (pre-test). In the next step, the couples of experimental group were received 8 therapy sessions, while no intervention were made for control group. Finally, two weeks after the last therapeutic session all variables of depression level and marital satisfaction were reassessed (post-test). A T-Test for comparing pre-test and post-test mean scores were shown significantly differences between couples under cognitive couple therapy (experimental group) and no-treatment couples (control group), in depression level, and marital satisfaction (decreasing depression levels, and increasing marital satisfaction). The improvement rate was 59.30% and 67.92% for depression level and marital satisfaction respectively. It can be concluded that, according to findings, psychologists and family counselors can utilize cognitive couple therapy to reduce depression level and increase marital satisfaction of couples.

This research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of group contracting and behavioral activation therapy on depression, anxiety and marital stress of patients with Coronary Heart Disease. In a quasi-experimental design with pre-test/post-test with control group paradigm, a sample of 56 coronary heart disease person (26 male and 30 female) were selected by available sampling method and randomly were assigned to two experimental and one control groups. All participants were completed the Demographical Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety- Depression Scale, and the Marital Stress Scale. Two treatment groups were received group contracting and behavioral activation therapy during a 2 months period. A post-test and 4 months follow up were also administered for all groups. Whereas no differences were evident for depression, significantly differences were observed for anxiety and marital stress in post-test and also in 4 months follow up tests in experimental group. Whereas 2 months group contracting and behavioral activation therapy was effective and long lasting therapy in reducing anxiety and marital Stress of Coronary Heart Disease patients, it was not a sufficient period for depression reduction. This issue highlighted the planning and implementation of a more comprehensive and well tailored intervention for heart patients with anxiety, marital stress and high depression risk which seem to necessitate the prevention and health promotion programs for these patients.

Co morbid personality disorders causes relapse, chronocity and lack of recovery from depression. The current study investigated the efficacy of Brief Object Relations psychotherapy on reduction of depression severity and interpersonal problems of women suffer from major depressive disorder co morbid with cluster C personality disorders. By purposeful sampling method, 6 subjects met the in/exclusion criteria, were participated in a single subject design study randomly. Interventions were arranged based on A/B with follow up design. Each subject completed Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and interpersonal Questionnaire every session during 3 baselines, 15 treatment and 3 follow up assessment sessions. Data were analyzed by visual analysis of graphic displays, Cohen’s coefficient effect size for statistical significance and remission rate for clinical significance. Patients totally reached 55% remission in depression severity with mean effect size 1.92 and 42% remission in interpersonal problems with mean effect size 2.06. Gains were maintained in follow up. The efficacy of Brief Object Relations psychotherapy on reduction of depression severity and interpersonal problems of women suffer from major depressive disorder co morbid with cluster C personality disorders was statistically and clinically significant.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between extraversion and neuroticism personality dimensions and cognitive failures and the role of metacognition as a mediator variable in this relationship. 200 female students of Tarbiat Modares University completed Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R), Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and Metacognition Questionnaire (MCQ-30). The data were analyzed using multiple regression. The results indicated that components of metacognition in positive beliefs about worry, negative beliefs about uncontrollability and danger, cognitive confidence and negative beliefs about not controlling thoughts were partly as a mediator between neuroticism and cognitive failures. Also there was a significant independent correlation between neuroticism and cognitive failures. The findings of this study support the meditative role of components of metacognition in the relationship between neuroticism and cognitive failures.

The main aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of written and verbal emotional disclosure on depression, anxiety and stress symptoms in undergraduate students. Using screening sampling method, 40 students of Hamadan Azad University with high scores in Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale were selected, and randomly assigned into two experimental and two control groups. While experimental groups participated in psychotherapy interviews with written and verbal emotional disclosure method, no intervention were made for control groups. Consequently, post test and follow up after 3 mouths was administrated for DASS scores in all 4 groups and data were analyzed by Repeated Measures (GLM) statistical method. Significantly differences were revealed for depression, anxiety and stress symptoms between 4 groups. A Bonferroni Post Hoc Test was also showed a significant difference between pre-test and post-test scores in experimental groups, whereas no differences were evident between post-test and follow up. That is, the interventional effects have not a significant difference from post-test to fallow up. Further, written emotional disclosure reflected a greater effect on depression and stress symptoms than verbal emotional disclosure. Written and verbal emotional disclosure reduces the symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in people with these clinical symptoms. Therefore, it could be considered, by specialist, as a simple, effective and low cost strategy for encountering and coping with negative life events.

Poor mental health is one of the psychological problems in chemical weapon victims. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness and emotion regulation training on the mental health of chemical weapon victims. An experimental design was conducted (pre-test, post-test and follow-up) with two experimental and one control groups. A sample of 47 chemical weapon victims with high scores in General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) in Sardasht city were randomly selected and assigned to 3 groups: 1-Mindfulness training group 2- Emotion regulation training group and 3- Control group. The first 2 groups were received Mindfulness-based stress reduction training and emotion regulation training respectively, while no training provided for control group. Data were gathered, using the General Health Questionnaire. Analysis of variance with repeated measure was used for analyzing the data. Results indicated that the average scores of mental health were significantly decreased in mindfulness training group rather than emotion regulation training group and in emotion regulation group rather than control group, in both post-test and follow-up stages. Results were also shown significantly decrease trends for somatic signs, anxiety, depression and social dysfunction scores in mindfulness and emotion regulation training groups, in both post-test and follow-up stages. Results confirmed the effectiveness of mindfulness and emotion regulation training for improving mental health status in chemical weapon victims. Therefore, mindfulness and emotion regulation could be suggested for improvement of mental health among chemical weapon victims.

The aim of this study was to investigation of efficacy of working memory training on improving academic performance of children with mathematics learning disability. The design was experimental. For this purpose, 30 3rd grade elementary students with math learning disability that were selected by using multistage random cluster sampling (each group consist of 15 children). The instruments of this research were Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition, Dyscalculia Diagnostic Test and Clinical Interview. working memory training was employing on experimental group. Data was analyzed by analysis of Covariance. Findings indicated that working memory training can improve math performance of children with mathematics learning disability. The findings emphasized that working memory training can be used as a intervention method in improvement of mathematics difficulty in students with mathematics learning disability.