نشریه اندیشه و رفتار در روان شناسی بالینی
پیاپی 38 (زمستان 1394)

Social anxiety is one of the anxiety disorders. People with social anxiety disorder are afraid of social situations in which they think they may behave in an embarrassing way or be negatively evaluated by others, and try to avoid them. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between family functioning and social anxiety disorder mediated by shyness and the difficulty in emotional regulation. Therefore, in a descriptive and correlational study, 500 first year high school students in Shahrekord city were selected through multistage cluster sampling method and evaluated for family functioning, emotional regulation, social anxiety and shyness. Scores path analysis showed that the proposed model fitted well and the path from family functioning to shyness, family functioning to difficulty in emotional regulation, family functioning to social anxiety, shyness to social anxiety, and difficulty in emotional regulation to social anxiety is significant. Considering indirect effects of family functioning on social anxiety through shyness and difficulty in emotional regulation, it can be concluded that the coefficient effect of family functioning through shyness and emotional regulation difficulties on social anxiety is significant. According to the results, shyness and difficulty in emotional regulation could be considered as an appropriate intermediary in the relationship between family functioning and social anxiety.

Mental health effects general health, psychological well-being, , network of social support and interpersonal relationships and skills. Since feeling of being healthy improve psychological, social, occupational and family performances, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of group cognitive therapy and dialectical behavior therapy on students’ general health. Therefore, in a quasi-experimental study, 250 students were selected through availability method and evaluated for general health. From this, 45 people who had the highest scores were selected and randomly assigned to one control and two experimental groups (n=15). The first experimental group received eight two-hour sessions of dialectical behavior therapy and second experimental group received eight two-session of cognitive therapy. The control group received no therapy. In the last session, participants were evaluated again for general health. Analysis of covariance showed that after scores adjustment of pre-test, there are significant differences between the means of three groups’ post-test scores. Additionally, examination of adjusted means demonstrated the effectiveness of teaching the cognitive therapy skills in comparison to dialectical behavioral therapy skills. It can be conclude that cognitive therapy is effective in increasing the general health of students; however, dialectical behavior therapy has not made a significant improvement in participants’ general health.

The extent of sexual violence is to the extent of human history and it is one of the problems that humanity has been grappling with and can be considered one of the serious psychosocial deviations. Sexual abusiveness is one of the anomalies through which a person seeks and reaches sexual pleasure and satisfaction by abusing another person. In the research literature related to psychopathology of sexual abusers’ personalities, the relationship between their attachment patterns and problems with abusive behavior has been of a particular interest to researchers and clinicians. The aim of this study is to compare attachment styles and the ability to empathy between offenders of child sexual abuse and ordinary people. In order to do this, in a comparative study, 33 sexual abuser and 33 normal person were selected through availability sampling method, and evaluated for attachment style, interpersonal reactions and the ability to empathy. Multivariate analysis of variances showed that secure attachment style is the prevailing attachment style among the ordinary individuals and avoidant attachment style is the dominant style among the sexual abusers. In addition, the results showed a higher ability of ordinary people in sympathetic attention index and a higher score in individual distress index among the sexual abusers. It seems, insecure attachment style with interference in the process of empathy, may be associated with sexual abusiveness.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the most disabling anxiety disorders, with multi-dimensional and complex nature that requires ongoing investigations and treatments strategies. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of metacognitive therapy (MCT), neurofeedback and treatment with fluvoxamine on anxiety, depression and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder in patients. Therefore, in a quasi-experimental study with pretest, posttest, and control group, 40 patients with OCD were selected through purposive sampling method from clients referred to Kerman’s Center of Psychiatry and Psychology in Kerman, and randomly assigned into three experimental groups and one control group. Each experimental group experienced 10 weeks of treatment. The participants were evaluated for OCD symptoms, anxiety, and depression before and after treatment. Covariance analysis showed that the efficacy of three methods were effective on reducing symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety and depression. Comparison of the results showed that MCT has greater effectiveness than two other treatments and that neurofeedback therapy is more effective than pharmacotherapy in decreasing anxiety. It seems that meta-cognitive therapy and neurofeedback are effective in improving anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with OCD.

Social phobia is one of the significant psychological disorders. Focused attention on self, selective biases in relation to attention, interpretation, memory, and social judgment are the main elements of this disorder. It seems that patients with social anxiety disorder are inclined to shift the focus of their attention on the internal aspects such as motivation, behavior, thoughts, emotions or their appearance in social situations. The aim of this study is to compare the focused attention on self or others, and partiality in judgment in patients with symptoms of social phobia and non-patient individuals. Therefore, in a comparative study, 50 patients with social phobia and 50 non-patient individuals were selected through screening method from Tabriz University’s students. The subjects were evaluated in terms of social phobia, focus of attention and partiality in judgment. Multivariate analysis of demonstrated significant differences between the two groups scores in investigated variances. Patients with social phobia attained higher scores in focused attention on self and partiality in judgment, and lower score in focused attention on others than non-patient subjects. It seems that, in social situations, patients with social anxiety focus their attention on self and tend to negatively interpret the circumstances and have biased judgment.

Stressful life Events, are challenging occurrences that are associated with emotional disruptions and seem to be one of the factors that lead individual to clash with depression and rumination, are worrying experiences that continually occur over time and can have an important role in creating suicidal thoughts. The aim of this study is to present a model to predict suicidal thoughts based on stressful events and depressive mediated rumination in students. Therefore, in a correlation study, 155 post-graduate students of Shiraz University were selected randomly and evaluated for depression, suicidal thoughts, and rumination responses. Correlation analysis showed that stressful life events and rumination scores can directly and significantly predict depression and suicidal thoughts. According to the proposed model, it was found that stressful life events and depressive mediated rumination could significantly predict suicidal thoughts. It appears that the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts is higher in students who have experienced more stressful life events and tend to use ruminative response more often. Given that students have an important role in community development; employing methods that prevent and treat depression and suicidal thoughts among this demographic is essential.

Most people with anxious attachment style use negative emotional regulations strategies and impaired emotional regulations. Use of impaired strategies by those with anxious attachment style causes reduction in their capabilities to cope with stressful situations and makes them vulnerable in the face of problems. The aim of this study is to predict the risk of depression based on attachment styles and identity base in patients with depression and non-patient individuals. In order to do this, through a descriptive correlational study, 75 patients diagnosed with depression (after screening) and 74 non-patient individuals were selected by purposive sampling method and were assessed for general health, depression, attachment styles and identity base. Logistic regression analysis showed that secure attachment style and anxious attachment style respectively could in negative way and positive way predict the probability of depression. Also, increasing scores of individual’s informational and normative styles decreases the likelihood of being depressed; and increasing scores of ambivalent-avoidant identity of the individual increases the likelihood of being depressed. It seems that to predict depression attachment styles and individual’s sense of identity should be considered.

Generalized anxiety disorder, is one of the destructive chronic anxiety disorders and is common in childhood and adolescence and has generated many problems in the field of health. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety sensitivity. Therefore, in a quasi-experimental research with pretest, posttest, and control group, 30 students diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder were selected from Robat Karim city’s high schools and randomly assigned to experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The experimental group received 9 sessions of group cognitive-behavioral therapy and the control group received no intervention. Subjects in both groups were evaluated for generalized anxiety, anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty before and after the intervention. The results of analysis of covariance showed that cognitive-behavioral interventions have significantly reduced the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty. It seems that cognitive-behavioral therapy, through decreasing the level of intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety sensitivity, is an appropriate method in treatment of generalized anxiety.