Iranian Journal of Practice in Clinical Psychology
Volume:3 Issue: 4, Autumn 2015

Although emotions help us respond compatibly to the problems and opportunities we encounter in life, their deviation can lay the foundation for emotional disorders. Perfectionism is a person’s wish to meet ones as well as others’ expectations, albeit with better quality than what the situation allows. According to research literature it seems that dimensions of perfectionism can predict the severity of emotional disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perfectionism and symptoms of emotional disorders. This study was a descriptive, cross sectional, and correlation research. To achieve the research objectives, two questionnaires of inventory of depression and anxiety symptoms (IDAS), and perfectionism inventory were administered to a sample of 385 students studying at Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University. The results demonstrated that there is a strong correlation between perfectionism and severity of the emotional disorder symptoms. Furthermore, the independent variables such as the component of perfectionism can optimally predict the emotional disorders severity (sig=0.001). Considering the role of perfectionism in the prediction, etiology, and treatment of emotional disorders, in order to enhance the mental health of the society, it is essential to take a practical approach towards such studies.

Suicide is a major public health problem with little information about the role of personality characteristics of people who chemically commit suicide. The present study aimed to investigate the role of personality traits in the chemical suicide attempters. In a case-control study, 100 patients with attempted suicide selected by convenience sampling were compared to 100 normal subjects as a control group selected by consecutive sampling in terms of personality traits using short form 5-factor questionnaire of NEO. Suicide attempters got significantly higher scores in neuroticism and also lower scores in extroversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness (P<0.01) compared to normal individuals. Interaction effects of group membership by sex revealed that male suicide attempters had always higher neuroticism levels and lower extraversion and openness (P<0.05) compared to the other sex group. The findings accurately identified the basic personality dimensions influencing the antisocial phenomenon and provided approaches for prevention and treatment of suicide attempters.

Happiness, as one of the most important aspects of students’ mental health has a significant influence on their social growth and personality development, and it has always been of interest to the researchers in different fields of psychology. In this study, the method of correlation was used and the population of study was all students of Farhangiyan University of Guilan during the academic year 2013-2014 which included 1777 students. Among this population, a sample of 250 students (including 149 women and 101 men) was selected and studied using stratified random sampling method. The student adaptation to college questionnaire (SACQ), interpersonal forgiveness scale (IFS) and Oxford happiness questionnaire (OHI) were used for data collection. The resulting data were analyzed by applying multivariate regression analysis method in SPSS vs. 19. The results showed a significant and positive relationship between adaptation to college and interpersonal forgiveness with the happiness (at the level of P<0.01) and it was concluded that these variables, in combination with each other, were able to account for 58% of the variance of happiness. Among the independent variables, the component of social adjustment had the greatest role in the prediction of happiness among the students. Since the variables of adaptation to college and interpersonal forgiveness are suitable predictors for happiness, consideration of these variables in the students’ mental health promotion programs is highly recommended.

This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties and the factor structure of the Behavior Problems Inventory (BPI-01) among students with intellectual disabilities in Iran. The Persian version of BPI-01 was administered to the care staff of Iranian children and adolescents (n=591) who had been detected as suffering from intellectual disabilities. Iranian children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities in the present study lived in one of the 4 provinces of Tehran, Esfahan, Karaj, and Kurdistan. Cronbach α and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used for analyzing the data. The results of the study showed that the scale could reach an acceptable level of internal consistency (Cronbach α ranged from 0.83 to 0.94). Furthermore, CFA supported the unidimensionality of the subscales as well as 3 factor structure proposed in the original BPI-01. The Persian version of BPI-01 enjoys an acceptable level of reliability and is explained by the same factor structure proposed in the original BPI-01. The limitations and some applications of the present study will be discussed too.

There are not enough good instruments for assessing driving behavior in Iran. This study aimed to investigate factor structure, convergent and divergent validity, and reliability of driving behavior survey (DBS). The study method is descriptive and survey. Participants comprised 147 Sample selected by convenient method. Iranian drivers who completed DBS, Manchester driver behavior questionnaire, trait anxiety scale, and trait anger scale. findings showed that 3 factors of DBS could explain 39% of total variance. Anxietybased performance deficits, exaggerated safety and caution behaviors, and hostility/aggressive behaviors were 3 factors of DBS. There were convergent correlations between DBS subscales and common driving mistakes and traffic rules violations. Cronbach’s alpha was estimated 0.77, 0.65 and 0.70 for subscales. Driving behavior survey has convincing psychometrical features. It could be used in general population and clinical settings for investigating anxious drivers.

This study is an attempt to investigate validity and reliability of the Persian version of Sexual Self-Efficacy Scale-Female functioning in volunteer married women in married dormitories and non-dormitories of Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran, Iran. The current study is descriptive of type survey. The sample consisted of 160 volunteer married women in married dormitories and non-dormitories of Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran, who were selected by a convenience sampling method and a structured clinical interview based on DSM-IV-TR after voluntary obtaining informed consent. They completed 37-item Sexual Self-Efficacy Scale-Female Functioning (SSES-F). The data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis by SPSS-PC (v.16). The results of exploratory factor analysis on SSES-F identified 4 factors. Cronbach´s α coefficients was α=0.93 for the entire measure (28 items), with alphas ranging from 0.80 to 0.92 for the individual factors. Given the validity and reliability of the SSES-F Scale, with regard to the validity and reliability of the SSES-F, this scale can be used in clinical settings and research studies, particularly in prevention and increasing the competence of legal marital relations.

Methamphetamine consumers use can have more efficient practices, be hyperactive, and take sexual risk-taking behaviors. These behaviors are particularly remarkable in homosexuals. The present study was conducted based on casual-comparative method in the field of descriptive studies. Since 1 March to 25 June 2015, a total of 62 MSM subjects were selected based on chain method and divided into two groups of methamphetamine dependent (n=30) and non-dependent ones (n=32). sexual behaviors were examined by sexual behavior questionnaire based on 3 dimensions of sexual thoughts, sexual pleasure, and sexual hyperactivity. High-risk sexual behavior were evaluated by sexual behavior questionnaire, their relation with participants’ educational status, occupation, age, income, and number of sexual partners in the last 3 months were analyzed using the parametric T-test. Data analysis showed that methamphetamine dependent MSM were significantly higher (P<0.01) in all 3 components of sexual thoughts and pleasure, hyperactivity, and sexual behavior compared to non-dependent group. However, regarding age, there was no significant difference between age and sexual risk behavior (P=0.05). methamphetamine dependent MSM have a unique experience of thoughts, pleasure, and aspirations and have high tendency to high-risk sexual behavior. These findings are consistent with the previous research on the importance of stimulant consumption and specifically methamphetamine in creating high-risk sexual behavior. Controlling methamphetamine use plays an important role in preventing the transmission of infectious diseases.

The present study aimed to compare prospective and retrospective memory impairment and attention deficit in people suffering from chronic low back pain with those cognitive functions in healthy subjects. Furthermore, this study examines the relation between severity and duration of pain and prospective and retrospective memory impairment and attention deficit. The research was a causality-comparative study. Using convenience sampling method, 53 male patients and 53 healthy male individuals were selected. The participants were asked to fill out prospective and retrospective memory questionnaire and pain numeric rating scale (NRS). In addition, a continuous performance test was performed. The study hypotheses were tested using two independent group T-test and the Pearson correlation analysis by SPSS 22 with the significant level of 0.05. The results showed that there was significant difference between the 2 groups of participants regarding prospective memory, but no significant difference regarding retrospective memory. With respect to hypotheses, significant difference was found between the two groups regarding attention. And finally results of the study did not show any relation between duration and intensity of pain with impairment in prospective and retrospective memory and attention. The prospective memory impairment and attention deficits are associated with chronic low back pain. In general, hronic pain is associated with cognitive impairment.