Iranian Journal of Practice in Clinical Psychology
Volume:2 Issue: 2, Spring 2014

The present study has been carried out to develop social cognition interventional program (SCIP)based on Theory of Mind (ToM), and to investigate its effects on High- Functional Autistic (HFA) Children''s Social function. present study was completely experimental and its participants were randomly assigned to an experimental or a control group (Among 14 HFA, 7 in experimental and 7 in controls were selected as a sample). Interventional programs were taught in 20 sessions. Scott-Bellini Autism Social Skills profiles (ASSP) were used as outcome measures. This profile had 45 Items with 4 subscales. The validity of this scale was confirmed by specialists and its reliability was estimated 0.940. the gathered data were analyzed using repeated measures and analysis of variance. The results showed that SCIP had a significant effect on participant''s social function. based on the results, SCIP may be effective in and increasing social function in participants with HFA, and it led to modify their relation in 3 levels: making, maintenance and development.

Self-harm was classified to show forms like non-suicidal self injury and indirect risky behaviors and drug abuse. The aims of this study were to compare suicidal tendencies indexes and difficulty in emotion regulation skills in mixed groups of adolescents with direct and indirect forms of self-harm. In a casual-comparative design from population of delinquent adolescents detained in Tehran correctional center and adolescents with histories of childhood maltreatment who lived in Iranian social welfare centers. 238 adolescents were selected. Then Groups based on direct and indirect self-harm were formed (control group, direct self-harm, indirect self-harm and mixed group). We used self-harm checklists, difficulties in emotion regulation checklist and suicide probability scale as instruments. Suicide probability of adolescents in mixed group was significantly higher than that of all groups but there weren’t significant differences between direct and indirect self-harm. There weren’t significant differences between groups in emotion regulation skills (p<0.001). Scores of impulse control difficulty subscale in adolescents with direct self-harm were significantly higher than those of indirect self-harm group (p<0.001); but the scores of mixed group and direct self- harm in impulse control were equal. Suicide ideation of indirect self-harm group was as much as mixed group. Adolescents with direct and indirect self- harm were equally prone to suicide. These findings suggest that inability to impulse control and suicide ideation could be targets for decreasing suicide probability in adolescents with direct and indirect self-harm.

Social phobia is considered as one of the most common anxiety disorders. The researchers have been looking for the basic mechanism behind it, since determining these factors can be influential in prevention and treatment. In recent years, some of the most important personality and cognitive correlates of social phobia including neuroticism, fear of negative evaluation, anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty have been discovered. This study aims to examine the nature of the relationship between these variables and how they are related to social phobia. 550 students studying in different faculties of Semnan University completed Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN) voluntarily. Those who scored above cutoff (156 people) were given the neuroticism subscale of Eysenck questionnaire, Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE), and Anxiety Sensitivity (ASI) and Intolerance of Uncertainty (IUS) questionnaires. The results resulted from path analysis demonstrated that intolerance of uncertainty and fear of negative evaluation were the mediating factors in the relationship between neuroticism and symptoms related to social phobia, while anxiety sensitivity did not play this mediating role. Since this disorder is widespread and has a negative effect on people''s lives, particularly their professional lives, determining the role of intolerance of uncertainty and other correlates of social phobia in predicting this disorder can give us a better understanding of the contributing factors. Therefore, the potential use of these results is of great importance to therapists in treating the aforementioned social anxiety disorder.

The purposes of this study was to examine the relationships between personality traits, cognitive emotion regulation strategies and impulsive behaviors of borderline personality disorder, and to explore which personality traits and cognitive emotion regulation strategies can better predict and explain the impulsive behaviors in borderline personality disorder. This study was a cross-sectional study design. The participants consisted of 78 patients with borderline personality disorder. Patients were recruited from health and medical centers in Tehran, Iran. The Sample was selected based on judgmental sampling. The SCID-II-PQ, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II (SCID-II), NEO-PI-R, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) and Impulsive Behaviors checklist were used for diagnosis and assessment. Pearson Correlation and Multivariate Regression Analysis has been used for data analysis. All statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS 16. Findings indicate that neuroticis m and openness significantly correlated with impulsive behaviors (r = 0.312 and 0.280 respectively, P< 0.001, P< 0.05), and can predict impulsive behaviors in borderline personality disorder. The results also showed that, self-blame, other blame and positive refocus positively correlate with impulsive behaviors (r= 0.32, 0.31 and 0.27 respectively, P< 0.001, P< 0.05). Also significant beta weights were positive for self-blame and other-blame. Those results partially confirm existing studies. Overall, findings showed that neuroticis m, openness, self-blame and other blame are significant predictors of impulsive behaviors in borderline personality disorder.

According to the significant role of mother’s personality traits and their training styles on the genesis of children’s initial personality and destructive manners, present research compares early maladaptive schemas of mothers of children with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, mothers of children with Oppositional defiant disorder, and mothers of normal children. The sample included ninety mothers divided into three groups: mothers of children with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, mothers of children with Oppositional defiant disorder, and mothers of normal children through purposeful sampling method from patients who went to a specialized center for treatment of children''s behavioral disorders. Structured clinical interview for DSM-IV and Young-schema questionnaire (short-form) were used to collect data. Results showed that the mothers of attention-deficit hyperactivity children gained the highest grade in the sub-fields of Emotional inhibition, Social isolation/Alienation, Defectiveness/Shame, Defectiveness / Shame, Unrelenting standards/hyper-­­­criticalness, Entitlement/Grandiosity, and Insufficient self/control/self-discipline. Mothers of Oppositional defiant children gained the highest grade in the sub-fields of­ Mistrust/Abuse, Dependence/Incompetence, Enmeshment/Undeveloped self. Also, the mothers of normal children gained the highest grade in the sub-field of self-sacrifice. (P≤0.01). Therefore, putting into consideration the difference among the schemas of mothers of children with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, mothers of children with Oppositional defiant disorder, and mothers of normal children, the present study can be useful to evaluate and arrange therapeutic purposes of children with the aforementioned disorders.

The purpose of the present study was to inspect the validity and reliability of the Iranian version of the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI-I). The statistical population of the present study were selected among the university students studying at Shiraz University in the 2010- 2011 academic year. Two hundred and seventy seven of the university students were recruited via cluster sampling method. The participants answered the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI-I), Connor and Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II) and and Billings and Moos Coping Styles Questionnaire (CSQ). To examine the validity of the CFI-I, factor analysis by principle component analysis method was run, the result of which yielded three factors namely, Control, Alternatives and Alternatives for Human Behaviors that explained 56.02% of the variance. Support for the convergent and discriminant validity of the CFI -I was obtained by its correlations with the measures of depression, coping strategies, and resilience. Evidence for the internal consistency of the CFI was obtained by calculating correlations between the CFI -I and its subscales. Also, the Cronbach’s alpha and test-retest coefficients for the CFI-I reliability were 0.90 and 0.71, respectively. It was concluded that the Iranian version of the CFI has acceptable levels of validity and reliability among Iranian university students and can be utilized in research investigations and therapeutic interventions.

The aim of present article was to study the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and the defense styles (mature, immature, and neurotic) in asthmatics, alexithymics and normal subjects. 216 asthmatic, alexithymic and normal subjects were selected and they completed Young Schema Questionnaire (short form), Defense Style Questionnaire and the Farsi version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics such as mean, standard deviation, MANOVA and multiple regressions analysis were used to analyze the research data. Results indicated a significant difference (P<0.05) in all domains of early maladaptive schemas, except other-directedness between the mean scores of the groups of normal subjects and asthmatic patients as well as alexithymic patients. In mature and neurotic defense style, there was not a significant difference between the mean scores of the three groups, while the immature defense style scores of normal subjects and patients with asthma were significantly different (P<0.05) from those of alexithymic. Alexithymia is the equivalent of difficulty in self-regulation. When emotional information could not be perceived and evaluated through cognitive processing, it results in the individual''s emotional and cognitive confusion. This inability increases the possibility of the immature and neurotic defense styles in stressful situations.

Despite the fact that new criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) were resulted from Five-Factor Model (FFM), there are a small number of studies that investigate the relation between proposed personality traits and FFM. Also, cross-cultural study in this field is needed continuously. Though, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the relation between the FFM and DSM-5 pathological traits. This study was a cross-sectional study design. The participants consisted of 130 individuals with borderline personality disorder that were selected from prisoners (n=80), outpatients (n=35) and inpatients (n=15). They were recruited from Tehran prisons, and clinical psychology and psychiatry clinics of Razi and Taleghani Hospitals, Tehran, Iran. The Sample was selected based on judgmental sampling. The SCID-II-PQ, SCID-II, NEO-PI-R and DSM-5 Personality Trait Rating Form was used for the diagnosis and assessment of personality disorders. Pearson correlation has been used for data analysis. All statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS 16. The results indicate that there is positive significant relationship between neuroticism (N) with emotional lability (r=0.34, p< 0.01), anxiousness (r=.286, p< 0.01) and impulsivity (r=.229, p< 0.05). Also, there is significant relationship between openness (O) and emotional lability (r=0.316, p< 0.01) and risk taking (r=.193, p< 0.05), and negative relation with impulsivity (r=-.244, p< 0.01), separation insecurity(r=.194, p< 0.05), and depressivity (r=-0.19, p< 0.05). In addition, results showed that there is positive significant relationship between FFM and DSM-5 personality traits with DSM-IV-TR BPD symptoms (p< 0.01). Results were in line with findings from previous studies and were explained in part by considering how facets/traits of the FFM and DSM-5 personality traits map onto the concept of BPD. Also, the present study helps understand the adequacy of dimensional approach to evaluate personality pathology, specifically on Iranian sample.