ali fathi ashtiani

Chronic pain (CP) is defined as persistent, severe pain lasting for more than three months and is often associated with psychological distress (PD) and learned helplessness (LH).

This study aims to explore the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), PD, and LH in individuals with CP.

The research employed a descriptive, causal-comparative methodology. The study population consisted of patients referred to pain and physiotherapy clinics in Tehran between 2022 and 2023. From a pool of 300 CP patients, 150 with high-grade PTSD severity and 150 with low-grade PTSD severity were purposively selected. Participants completed PTSD (Blevins et al., 2015), PD (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), and LH (Quinnells & Nelson, 1988) questionnaires. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS-24 software, with multivariate analysis of variance used for data analysis (P < 0.005).

Among the 300 patients, 52.6% were married, 44.0% held a bachelor’s degree, and 37.4% had musculoskeletal disorders. The findings revealed significant differences in PD and LH levels between the two groups (P < 0.001). Chronic pain patients with high-grade PTSD exhibited greater levels of depression (F = 211.09), anxiety (F = 231.06), stress (F = 374.85), and LH (F = 457.79) compared to those with low-grade PTSD (P < 0.001).

This research highlights the significant impact of PTSD severity on PD and LH in individuals with CP. These results emphasize the need to consider psychological factors in the treatment and management of CP.

Chronic Pain (CP) is a multifaceted condition that encompasses more than just physical discomfort, intertwining with a variety of psychological factors. This study aims to explore the influence of post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Pain Catastrophizing (PC) on the prediction of Psychological Distress (PD) among patients grappling with CP. This research is a descriptive and correlational study. The population of the study included patients with CP who had referred to pain and physiotherapy centers in the Tehran province in 2022-2023. A sample of 395 individuals was selected by the convenience sampling method and then data was collected using psychological distress (DASS-21), post-traumatic stress disorder (PCL-5), and Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). Data were analyzed by SPSS-24 software using Pearson correlation and multiple regression. The results showed that the correlation between PD of CP with re-experiencing (r=0.66, P<0.001), avoidance (r=0.55, P<0.001), negative alterations (r=0.73, P<0.001), hyper-arousal (r=0.70, P<0.001), emotional numbness (r=0.74, P<0.001), rumination (r=0.70, P<0.001), magnification (r=0.64, P<0.001), and helplessness (r=0.74, P<0.001) was positive and significant. In addition, the results of multiple regression analysis revealed that PTSD and PC predict 73% of PD. The current study contributes to the empirical understanding of the relationship between CP and PD and provides valuable insights for clinicians and researchers alike.

Serving in the military environment can lead to profound psychological and social implications. This study aimed to explore the risk and protective factors influencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in military veterans and soldiers.

This research involved a systematic search across international and national databases, as well as the Iranian Medical Science Articles Database, using keywords such as post-traumatic stress disorder, soldier, veteran, prevalence, mental health, depression, anxiety, stress, psychological distress, trauma, military, and war.

The studies review revealed a PTSD prevalence ranging from 2% to 57% among soldiers and veterans. Common issues among those affected included depression, anxiety, trauma, coping mechanisms, personality traits, stress, cognitive challenges, sexual dysfunction, emotional conflicts, substance abuse, and marital difficulties. Optimism, self-esteem, quality of life, resilience, social support, spirituality, and mental well-being were identified as factors significantly mitigating PTSD symptoms in soldiers and veterans.

The research findings underscore the critical role of psychological, behavioral, social, and emotional factors in the development and exacerbation of PTSD in military personnel. Given the occupational context of soldiers and military personnel, proactive measures are essential to identify high-risk groups and prevent widespread psychological disorders.

Chronic pain at an early age can lead to serious psychological, social, and academic issues and negatively impact cognitive functioning. Due to the limitations of medical treatments, psychological interventions can offer effective solutions to improve quality of life and reduce pain. This review study aimed to determine the effectiveness of psychological interventions in treating children and adolescents with chronic pain.

Through a systematic review study, all selected articles were evaluated by the research authors using specialized keywords in external databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, ProQuest, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Scopus, covering the period from January 2001 to July 2024. A total of 973 published English articles were reviewed, considering inclusion criteria and quality assessment using the PRISMA model. Based on the final qualitative evaluation, 38 articles were selected and examined to address the research questions.

The results of the studies indicate the effectiveness of biofeedback-relaxation (7 studies), mindfulness-based interventions (9 studies), acceptance and commitment therapy (8 studies), cognitive-behavioral therapy (10 studies), and compassion-focused therapy (3 studies) on the psychological and physical health of children and adolescents with chronic pain.

Psychological interventions have proven to be significantly effective for children and adolescents with chronic pain. These therapies have reduced pain intensity, stress, anxiety, depression, and pain-related disabilities. Conversely, they have improved quality of life, coping skills, physical functioning, and life satisfaction in patients. Overall, these treatments have not only alleviated negative symptoms but also enhanced various aspects of the patients' lives.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses faced unprecedented challenges they had not experienced before, leading to multiple psychological health issues. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on fatigue, post-traumatic stress disorder, and cognitive job failures among nurses in the post-COVID-19 era.

The current research utilized a semi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest approach, employing a control group. The study population consisted of nurses from hospitals in the six provinces of Tehran in 2022. The study sample included 36 nurses who were selected purposively and randomly allocated into the experimental and control groups. The data collection tools included questionnaires assessing the severity of fatigue, post-traumatic stress, and cognitive job failures. The experimental group received eight sessions of 90-minute mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, while the control group did not receive any intervention.

The results indicate that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy significantly reduces fatigue, post-traumatic stress disorder, memory, attention, motor skills, and estimation among nurses.

The findings demonstrate that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy significantly contributes to the reduction of psychological disorders resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic among nurses. Therefore, it is essential to identify and provide psychological treatment for nurses involved in the care of COVID-19 patients in specialized units during the pandemic.

The primary objective of this study is to examine the relationship between alexithymia and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among patients experiencing varying degrees of Chronic Pain (CP).

Method and Materials: 

This study utilized a descriptive causal-comparative approach. The participants were drawn from patients referred to pain and physiotherapy clinics in Tehran from 2022 to 2023. Out of 300 CP patients, 150 patients with high CP levels and an equal number with low CP levels were purposively chosen. The participants completed the Graded Chronic Pain Scale (GCPS), Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ), and Post- traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL). Data analysis was performed using SPSS-24 software, employing multivariate analysis of variance.

The findings revealed a significant difference in the levels of alexithymia and PTSD between the two groups (P<0.001). Patients with high levels of CP demonstrated increased negative-difficulty identifying feelings (F=241.87), positive-difficulty identifying feelings (F=389.01), negative-difficulty describing feelings (F=190.61), positive-difficulty describing feelings (F=347.81), general-externally orientated thinking (F=376.28), re- experiencing (F=246.75), avoidance (F=100.74), negative alterations (F=378.01), hyper-arousal (F=388.46), and emotional numbness (F=388.47) compared to their counterparts(P<0.001).

These findings underscore the intricate relationship between CP, alexithymia, and PTSD. Therefore, the need for comprehensive assessment and management strategies addressing the interplay of these factors in patient care is highlighted.

Academic environments are characterized by high levels of emotion. In an emotion-driven environment where emotions are related to other factors affecting academic performance, emotion regulation is essential. Therefore, it is essential to develop an instrument to evaluate emotion regulation strategies for students to employ in academic environment; hence, this study aims to analyze the psychometric features and factor structure of Persian version of Academic Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (AERQ) to evaluate emotion regulation strategies of university students. This study was descriptive and correlational studies. The research method was descriptive of correlation type. The statistical population consisted of all university students of Tehran universities. A total of 250 university students were selected as sample members by available sampling method. The Academic Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Burić et al., 2016) was implemented along with the Achievement Goal Questionnaire-Revised (Elliot & Murayama, 2008). After excluding incomplete questionnaires and outliers 219 questionnaires remained. The questionnaire reliability was measured through Cronbach’s alpha for internal consistency and the retest method. The confirmatory factor analysis and criterion validity were employed to analyze the questionnaire validity and standard scores for each range of scores were reported. All eight components of the original version were confirmed in the factor analysis. In the criterion validity, the variance explained by AERQ components was significant. Consisting of 37 items and 8 components, the Persian version of the AERQ has acceptable reliability and validity and can be utilized for research purposes.

One of the problems in the way to success is behaviors within the framework of imposter syndrome (IS). The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of schema therapy on self-efficacy, burnout, and perfectionism of employees with IS. This randomized trial employed a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of employees from private offices in five districts of Tehran in 2019. The study participants were comprised of 40 employees who were selected through purposeful sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. The data collection tools included questionnaires on IS, general self-efficacy, job burnout, and perfectionism. While the control group received no intervention, the experimental group underwent ten 90-minute schema therapy sessions. The data obtained were ultimately analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance via SPSS 24. According to the findings, schema therapy significantly increased self-efficacy (P < 0.01, F = 37.73) and decreased emotional exhaustion (P < 0.01, F = 30.08), depersonalization (P < 0.01, F = 71.63), low personal accomplishment (P < 0.01, F = 65.58), self-oriented perfectionism (P < 0.01, F = 44.28), other-oriented perfectionism (P < 0.01, F = 57.36), and society-oriented perfectionism (P < 0.01, F = 50.46) among employees with IS (P < 0.001). Considering that employees’ performance and progress are of special importance to office managers, examining the psychological dimensions of employees to reduce IS and strengthen the sense of self-efficacy is of great importance.

Investigating the psychological factors that facilitate the recovery of bone marrow transplant patients is crucial for appropriate policymakers to identify potential problems and develop appropriate interventions for the better benefit and increasing success of bone marrow transplantation. The aim of this study was to review the psychological factors facilitating the recovery of bone marrow transplant patients.

In this systematic review, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) utilized, along with their possible implications for risk of bias. In this regard, required information took from Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed databases for the selection of Latin articles and Persian articles databases, ISC with the selection period ranging from 1987 to 2022 for English articles and from the years 1390 to 1401 for selection of Persian articles. Based on the desired criteria, they limited. The narrative synthesis method used for combine the data.

In this study, the quality of 37 articles confirmed and psychological factors influencing the recovery of bone marrow transplant patients identified. Physical distress, decrease in patients' quality of life, psychosocial well-being, the possibility of increasing symptoms of anxiety and depression, are among the biggest challenges facing patient. Factors such as spirituality, health literacy, sports and psychological interventions aimed at disease acceptance the disease and increase psychological well-being and healthy coping strategies have a significant impact on improving psychological and medical health outcomes. Depression, homesick, tension, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, delusions and cognitive deficits, feelings of lack of choice, need for special attention, and isolation are inevitable consequences of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Some psychosocial variables (depression, anxiety, stress, coping strategies, social support, optimism, rationality, and need for coordination) and clinical parameters indicating immune response after bone marrow transplantation.

Identifying psychological factors influencing the recovery of bone marrow transplant patients, including; health literacy, sports programs, optimism, gender, social support, mental health, lifestyle factors, understanding of transplant, and follow-up are influential in setting protocols to increase the mental health and survival of bone marrow transplant patients. Identifying psychological factors that facilitate the treatment process helps psychologists and the medical team to identify and strengthen these factors in patients. To moderate the negative psychological consequences of transplantation, it is desirable to perform psychological interventions and to recognize and strengthen the positive psychological structures within the psyche by the treatment staff and the psychologist. Additionally, regulating the natural day and night cycle, palliative care, antipsychotic medication, disease management, lead to better health outcomes.

Marital infidelity is one of the most destructive issues faced by couples and is one of the most difficult challenges to intervention.

The present research was conducted to determine different methods and models of intervention and psychological interventions in marital infidelity.

The type of study is a systematic review. The target population of this research is the published articles related to extramarital relations or marital infidelity between the years 2018 and 2018. For this purpose, all the articles published in Farsi databases, including the Information Bank of the country's publications (Magiran) and the database of the Scientific Information Center of Academic Jihad (SID), and English databases including Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, with a time interval of the last 10 years, were extracted. became. From the total of 117 articles obtained, after a more detailed examination, 25 articles were included in the study.

The obtained results showed that group therapy methods are most effective in the intervention of infidelity and this was shown in the follow-up scores of several months. Also, couple therapy is more effective than individual therapy due to its effects on interpersonal relationships and its stability even after a long period. After that, in individual interventions, integrated approaches showed better results in less time, and it is next in rank after emotional therapy.

By reviewing the articles on different intervention methods for infidelity, it was concluded that seeing people who have a common pain with them is effective in the intervention process (group therapy) and when couples participate in intervention together. It will be effective due to receiving sympathy from the betrayer. Also, integrated therapy, due to the combination of methods, and then emotion-oriented individual therapy, due to the high level of negative emotions, play a role in infidelity.

 Depression, a complex and often debilitating mood disorder, transcends its clinical definition to impact various aspects of an individual's life, including their professional pursuits.

 This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of transdiagnostic treatment on anxiety sensitivity and prospective and retrospective memory of employees with depressive symptoms.

 This quasi-experimental study used a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The study included a total of 36 participants who were employees experiencing depression in the sixth and eighth municipal districts of Tehran in 2021. These participants were selected using a random sampling approach and allocated randomly into 2 groups: the experimental group (n = 18) and the control group (n = 18). The data collection process involved the utilization of questionnaires designed to assess depression, anxiety sensitivity, and prospective and retrospective memory. In the experimental group, a series of ten 90-minute sessions of transdiagnostic treatment was administered, while the control group received no such intervention. The collected data was analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) using SPSS version 24.

 The results showed that transdiagnostic treatment significantly decreases physical (F = 66.47, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.69), cognitive (F = 57.29, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.66), social (F = 26.05, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.47), prospective memory (F = 50.18, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.63), and retrospective memory (F = 31.39, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.52) in employees with depressive symptoms.

 The findings of this study highlight the significant and positive impact of transdiagnostic treatment on individuals experiencing depressive symptoms. The results demonstrate substantial reductions in various domains, including physical, cognitive, social, prospective memory, and retrospective memory domains. These outcomes, characterized by substantial effect sizes, highlight the effectiveness of transdiagnostic treatment in addressing the multifaceted challenges associated with depression in employees.

Eating disorders manifest numerous psychological and social consequences for both individuals and society. The present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in alleviating COVID-19-related anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, and depression among women diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa.

Methods & Materials:

 This study employed a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The research population consisted of women diagnosed with anorexia nervosa in Tehran in 2022. Thirty participants were selected through convenience sampling from psychological clinics in the 6th and 8th districts of Tehran, and were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=15) or the control group (n=15). Questionnaires assessing eating attitudes, COVID-19-related anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, and depression were administered to both groups. The intervention group received a total of eight 90-minute sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy, while the control group did not receive any intervention. The collected data were subsequently analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance through the SPSS software version 24.

The results of the study showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy led to a significant reduction in mental anxiety related to COVID-19 (P<0.001, F=36.41), physical anxiety related to COVID-19 (P<0.001, F=39.15), fear of negative evaluation (P<0.001, F=41.92), and depression (P<0.001, F=47.48) in women diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (P<0.001).

Cognitive-behavioral therapy demonstrated efficacy in alleviating psychological disorders among women diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Given the potentially severe impairment of mental health experienced by numerous individuals with anorexia nervosa, it is imperative to implement measures for identifying and providing psychological interventions to vulnerable groups.

Long-term pain experience and pain-related time beliefs are key factors for understanding pain experience and patients' psychological distress. The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between mental health and chronic pain in children and adolescents.

In this review research, using the English keywords chronic pain, chronic back pain, chronic headache, abdominal pain, neck pain, multiple pain, musculoskeletal pain, children, adolescents, and mental health, databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, ISI, Scopus, EMBASE, and PsycINFO were searched in the period 2000 (from January) to 2022 (until November).

The studies conducted showed that the prevalence of chronic pain was 4%-60% in children and adolescents, and abdominal pain, headache, back pain, and multiple pains were more common. Patients with depression, anxiety, fear, stress, pain catastrophizing, emotional ataxia, psychological distress, aggression, behavioral problems, and cognitive disorders had more severe chronic pain. On the other hand, factors such as favorable socio-economic status, quality of life related to health, good sleep quality, social communication, physical activity, resilience, and cognitive flexibility reduced pain and accelerated the treatment process of patients with chronic pain.

The obtained results indicated a significant association between mental health and chronic pain in children and adolescents. In this context, psychology and counseling centers of schools should provide training to increase the quality of life-related to the health and resilience of children and adolescents.

Soldiers and veterans with higher psychological vulnerability may be more affected by military and war conditions and show suicidal thoughts and self-harm than others. In this regard, the present study investigated the relationship between mental health and thoughts and behaviors related to suicide among military personnel.

This research was applied in terms of purpose and systematic review in terms of data collection. In the current research, by using specialized keywords search, suicidal thoughts, suicidal behavior, soldier, veteran, post-traumatic stress, mental health, depression, anxiety, stress, self-harm, violence, military, and war in the base. English databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, ISI, Scopus, and ScienceDirect and also the scientific database of academic jihad (SID), the country's journals database (Magiran), and the database of Iranian medical science articles were searched. After searching for keywords, the statistical population of this study was 764 Persian and English articles published in 2011 (from February) to 2022 (until July). After removing the articles not related to the research objectives, 51 articles were included and fully reviewed according to the PRISMA model.

Investigations have shown the existence of widespread psychological disorders such as post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, fear, stress, social stigma, low sleep quality, lack of social support, moral injury, low resilience, personality disorders, impulsivity, smoking, and alcohol addiction among military personnel had thoughts and behaviors related to suicide. Also, young age, male gender, low education, being single, poor economic status, family history, length of service, and military rank were among the demographic factors influencing the increasing thoughts and behaviors related to suicide among military personnel. According to the studies, having cognitive flexibility, resilience, social support, and spiritual and mental health can significantly reduce the number of thoughts and behaviors related to suicide in military personnel.

Considering that military personnel face various stressful and anxiety-provoking events during their lives, it is necessary to have good mental health. In this context, psychology and counseling centers of military barracks should regularly examine and screen thoughts and behaviors related to suicide to provide appropriate psychological interventions if necessary.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a multifactorial disease that has many psychological consequences. In this regard, the present study investigated the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on sexual function, coping strategies, and distress tolerance of employees with rheumatoid arthritis. The present research has a quasi-experimental design, with pre-test-post-test and a control group. The statistical population of the research included the employees of Tehran province in 2019. Thirty patients were randomly divided into intervention (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The data collection tools included sexual function, coping strategies, and distress tolerance questionnaires. The intervention group received eight 90-minute sessions of acceptance and commitment therapy, but the control group did not. Data were analyzed using multivariate covariance analysis by SPSS-24 software. Acceptance and commitment therapy significantly reduced emotional and avoidant coping styles. On the contrary, it has increased sexual function, problem-oriented coping style, and distress tolerance (tolerance, absorption, evaluation, adjustment) in employees with rheumatoid arthritis (P<0.001). Also, according to the calculated effect size, 76% of the total variances of the intervention and control groups are due to the effect of the independent variable. This research findings indicated the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy in increasing the rheumatoid arthritis patients’ mental health. Since patients with rheumatoid arthritis are psychologically vulnerable, it is necessary to take measures to improve their psychological health.

Working at different levels of the military may cause a person not to follow moral standards properly, so it is necessary to use efficient tools to detect the signs of moral injury. In this regard, the present study was conducted to investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the scale of moral injury symptoms in a military unit. This study was a descriptive evaluation consisting of 402 soldiers of a military unit in Tehran in 2022-2023, who were selected by the available sampling method. Soldiers completed a demographic checklist, moral injury symptom scale (MISS), post-traumatic stress disorder scale (PTSD), and mental health scale (MHC-SF). The psychometric properties of the moral injury symptoms scale were analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis test and Cronbach's alpha coefficient in SPSS version 24 and R software version 4.1 at a significance level of 0.05. The content validity of the questionnaire items was found to be satisfactory in terms of quality. The factor analysis results indicated the existence of a ten-factor structure for the scale of moral injury symptoms. The RMSEA of the model was equal to 0.04 and the SRMR index was equal to 0.07, indicating the model's appropriateness. The calculated values of other indices (GFI, CFI, NFI, NNFI, and IFI) were 0.96, 0.98, 0.95, 0.98, and 0.97 respectively, which indicates the acceptability of the model. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was also 0.96. The findings indicate the construct validity and acceptable validity of the moral injury symptoms scale in the military and the structure of this scale can be used to screen the moral injury symptoms in the military and soldiers.

The inability of couples to resolve conflicts and deal with them appropriately may lead people to divorce. This study was conducted with the aim of determining factors affecting divorce in Iran during the last 10 years.

In this study, a systematic review was done. All the articles in the last decade (2010 to 2020) about the causes of divorce in Iran in Persian and English and in the databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar and Megiran, ISC, SID were indexed using Persian and English keywords. From all the articles found, following the data entry and exit criteria, 27 articles were finally extracted and analyzed using the PRISMA guidelines.

The obtained results can be classified in several categories. These classes include demographic factors, economic factors, cultural-social factors, personality factors, factors related to incompatibility between couples, family factors and biological-psychological factors. In addition, 20 of the most important causes of divorce in the last 10 years were: male unemployment, lack of moral understanding, infertility, cultural and religious differences, involvement of family members, mental illnesses, drug and alcohol addiction, financial problems and insufficient income, from forced and forced marriage, sexual dissatisfaction, domestic violence, indifference to spouse, infidelity, remarriage, physical diseases, unrealistic expectations, immorality, foul language and obscenity, legal and judicial problems, lack of trust in each other, and moral corruption and illicit pleasures.

The findings of this research can help health policy makers to reduce divorce as a serious social harm by developing detailed programs.

The coronavirus 2019 first spread from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and became a global epidemic in just two months, according to the World Health Organization. As of March 23, 2020, the unknown virus has spread rapidly worldwide, infecting more than 187 countries and killing a significant number of people worldwide. COVID-19 is an acute respiratory infectious disease characterized by the main symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. With the outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent changes such as the closure of high-risk jobs and the implementation of emergency public health measures and home quarantine, social and economic relations and the way people lived were severely affected. During the spread of the virus, strict measures such as social distancing and mask-wearing were taken to control the spread of the disease in different parts of the world. One of the measures taken to curb COVID-19 was establishing home quarantine, which in turn can have a variety of consequences, including increased anxiety and stress. Patients with or suspected of COVID-19 are often afraid of the aftermath of the deadly virus, such as long-term health effects or death. People in quarantine may also experience fatigue, loneliness, depression, and anger. Additionally, common symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, body aches, loss of taste and smell, hypoxia, cough, and dry throat can increase COVID-19 anxiety in patients, which may cause psychological distress. High levels of fatigue and anxiety resulting from quarantine conditions significantly increase the need for extreme care, but due to the unknown nature of coronavirus 2019 and the lack of definitive treatment, individuals may have difficulty responding to this need. This intensifies fear, anxiety, and depression in people. Another variable that can be associated with pandemic diseases, such as COVID-19, is coping styles and types of symptoms in high-stress patients. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, there has been a wave of stress and anxiety, first among Chinese citizens and then around the world. People must use appropriate and effective coping strategies to control and reduce the stress caused by these conditions. Overall, COVID-19 anxiety, specifically health anxiety, can lead to cognitive errors, threat-related distortion, immunosuppressive behaviors, and destructive behaviors in healthy individuals who develop high levels of COVID-19 anxiety. In this regard, the present study aimed to compare psychological distress and coping styles in students with different levels of COVID-19 anxiety.

The research design was descriptive and causal-comparative. The statistical population of the study included undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. students of the University of Tehran, Iran, in the second semester of 2020-2021. In the present study, 200 students (100 students with high levels of COVID-19 anxiety and 100 students with low levels of COVID-19 anxiety) participated in the study through an online survey conducted via WhatsApp and Instagram. Inclusion criteria included belonging to the research community, having internet access, being between 18 and 30 years of age, and reporting personal satisfaction with their current living situation. The omission of questions was also considered as a criterion for leaving the research. Due to the epidemic of COVID-19, the closure of universities and educational institutions, and to prevent the spread of COVID-19, samples of this study were collected online. Participants were assessed using the COVID-19 Anxiety Inventory, psychological distress, and coping styles and then grouped. To identify students with COVID-19 anxiety, 338 questionnaires were distributed among the participants. Individuals who obtained a standard deviation above the mean COVID-19 anxiety scale were included in the analysis as a group with high levels of COVID-19 anxiety. Finally, data analysis was performed using multivariate and univariate variance with SPSS software version 24. It should be noted that in the present study, ethical considerations based on Helsinki ethics were observed.

The results of the Eta squared analysis show that the difference between the two groups in the studied variables is significant, with an Eta squared value of 0.71. This means that 71% of the variance related to the difference between the two groups is due to the interaction of COVID-19 anxiety and the studied variables. The results of multivariate analysis of variance showed that stress (68.55), anxiety (79.77), depression (94.17), Emotion-oriented Coping (98.81), Problem-oriented Coping (102.74), and Avoidance-oriented coping (114/48) were all significant at the level of 0.01. These findings indicate that there is a significant difference between the two groups in these variables (P<0.01). This means that students with different levels of COVID-19 anxiety differ in their use of psychological distress and coping styles. Specifically, students with high levels of COVID-19 anxiety had higher levels of psychological distress, emotion-oriented coping, and avoidance-oriented coping than students with low COVID-19 anxiety.

Findings from this study showed that students with high levels of COVID-19 anxiety have more depression, anxiety, and stress than other students. As a result, students with high levels of COVID-19 anxiety may become more sensitive to physical signs and symptoms, which can lead to increased levels of COVID-19 anxiety. On the other hand, the results of this study indicate that people with high levels of COVID-19 anxiety are less inclined to use problem-solving coping styles and are more likely to use emotion-oriented and avoidance-oriented coping styles. However, problem-solving coping styles can further reduce the harms of experiencing COVID-19 and the stress that results from it. Although stressors play an important role in exacerbating chronic and pandemic diseases, it should be borne in mind that how people deal with stressful situations plays an important role in their health. Therefore, psychologists and counselors need to pay more attention to these areas to reduce the severity of anxiety in students.

Nurses have an undeniable role in the health system and the improvement of health services in the country has always been done by strengthening aspects related to nursing. In this regard, the present research was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of nurses' empathy-based intervention on empathy, managing pro-social behavioral tendencies, and violent acts of patients.

The current study was a semi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of the research consisted of nurses in the 6th district hospitals of Tehran city in 2019. Among these, 40 nurses were selected using the available sampling method and randomly placed in experimental and control groups. The research tools consisted of the scale of empathy benefit (Baron-Cohen & Wheelwright, 2004), the prosocial behavior tendency scale (Baumsteiger & Siegel, 2019), and the scale of attitude toward the management of aggression and violence (Duxbury, 2013). Intervention based on empathy was provided in 10 sessions for participants in the experimental group. Data analysis was done using multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS24 software.

The results showed that the empathy-based intervention on empathy significantly increases empathy, prosocial behavioral tendencies, mutual perspective, external perspective, biological perspective, and understanding of clinical management in nurses (P<0.001). Also, 72% of the total variances of the intervention and control groups are caused by the effect of the independent variable.

Based on the findings of the present research, it can be stated that empathy is an effective structure in the efficiency of nurses. In this regard, intervention based on empathy can lead to an increase in empathy, an increase in the desire to perform pro-social behaviors, and an improvement in the attitude towards the management of patients' aggression and violence in nurses, which can ultimately lead to positive results for health systems. brought nurses and patients at different psychological, social, economic, and even physical levels.

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is one of the most common reasons for confining daily activities and functional disability at work, which can reduce people’s mental health. The research was conducted to assess the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the psychological distress and coping strategies of employees with CLBP.

The current research approach is a clinical trial with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population included employees of private offices suffering from CLBP in the 8 districts of Tehran City, Iran, in 2021. The study sample consisted of 30 patients with CLBP selected by the available sampling and randomly assigned to control (n=15) and experimental groups (n=15). The study tools included psychological distress and coping strategies. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of CBT, but the control group did not receive any intervention. The obtained information was analyzed using multivariate covariance analysis using SPSS software, version 24.

The outcomes of the present study confirmed that CBT significantly reduces depression, anxiety, stress, and emotional and avoidance coping strategies in patients with CLBP (P<0.01). Also, CBT increased the problem-oriented coping strategy in the employees who received the treatment (P<0.01).

The studies conducted showed the efficacy of CBT on depression, anxiety, stress, and coping styles of CLBP. Considering the impact of mental health in reducing the physical and social consequences of CLBP, it is necessary to pay special attention to the psychological variables of employees in addition to medical treatments.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many psychological consequences for patients with chronic low back pain. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on emotional regulation and psychological distress in patients with chronic low back pain and COVID-19 anxiety.

This was a semi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population included patients with chronic low back pain in Tehran in 2021. The study sample included 30 patients with chronic low back pain who were selected using the convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned in to two experimental and control groups. The collection tools included COVID-19 anxiety (Alipour et al (2020)), emotional regulation (Gross and John (2003)), and psychological distress (Lovibond and Lovibond (1995)) questionnaires. The experimental group received 8 ninety-minute sessions of therapy based on acceptance and commitment, but the control group did not receive any intervention.Research data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), normality (Shapiro-Wilk test), multivariate covariance analysis, univariate covariance analysis test in Mancova text, and Levene's, Box's and Bartlett's chi-square tests at a significance level of 0.05 through SPSS 24 software.

The results of the present study showed that acceptance and commitment therapy has significantly increased emotion regulation (reevaluation and suppression) and reduced psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) in patients suffering from chronic low back pain and COVID-19 anxiety (p > 0.05).

Based on the findings, it can be concluded that acceptance and commitment therapy has been able to reduce the psychological problems of patients with chronic low back pain and COVID-19 anxiety. For this purpose, it is suggested to hold workshops and develop programs by psychologists and pain specialists for patients with chronic low back pain.

 The COVID-19 pandemic has aroused fear and anxiety in many people worldwide.

 The study was conducted to measure the efficacy of internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (ICBT) for mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in students with COVID-19 anxiety.

 This semi-experimental study was conducted as a pre-post-test with a control group. The statistical population of the research included the students of the Tarbiat Modares University in the academic year 2021. To collect the required data, 30 students with COVID-19 anxiety were randomly allocated to control (n = 30) and experimental (n = 30) groups. The data collection tools included a questionnaire on COVID-19 anxiety, mental health, PTSD, and OCD. Following the pre-test, ICBT was implemented in eight 90-minute sessions for the experimental group. To analyze the data, SPSS software version 24 and the multivariate covariance analysis were used.

 It was revealed that ICBT could significantly increase mental health (M = 54.26, F = 33.38) and reduce PTSD (M = 67.20, F = 30.43) and OCD (M = 116.13, F = 19.11) in students with COVID-19 anxiety (P < 0.01).

 In general, it can be acknowledged that ICBT has promoted mental health and reduced PTSD and OCD. Accordingly, it is suggested to hold workshops and virtual programs by psychologists for students with COVID-19 anxiety.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused many psychological and social problems in people around the world, especially nurses. The present study aims to investigate and compare post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), burnout, and psychological disorders in nurses with and without COVID-19.

This is a causal-comparative study. The study population includes all male and female nurses of non-government hospitals in Tehran from July to September 2021. Of these, 220 nurses (110 without COVID-19 infection and 110 with COVID-19) voluntarily participated in the study. The questionnaires were the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale. Finally, data analysis was performed using multivariate and univariate analysis of variance in SPSS software, version 16.

There was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of PTSD, burnout, and psychological disorders (P<0.05). Nurses with COVID-19 had higher scores in PTSD (F=96.38, P<0.001), emotional exhaustion (P<0.001, F=12.45), depersonalization (F=15.49, P<0.001), depression (F=92.97, P<0.001), anxiety (F=37.94, P<0.001) and stress (F=47.6, P<0.001). The nurses with no COVID-19 had higher score in personal accomplishment.

Nurses who were infected with COVID-19 had lower psychological health compared to non-infected nurses. For this purpose, it is necessary to take measures to identify and provide psychological treatments to improve the mental health of vulnerable nurses.

Migraine headache (MH) is a common disorder that is observed with severe pains at different levels of disability that can affect a person's performance. In this context, the present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on pain catastrophizing and job satisfaction of employees with MH.

The present semi-experimental research was conducted based on a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The study's statistical population included all employees with MH in Tehran in 2020. The study sample included 30 patients with headaches who were selected using the available sampling method and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The required data were collected using pain catastrophizing and job satisfaction questionnaires. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of MBCT, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Finally, the obtained data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance.

The results of the present study showed that MBCT significantly reduced pain catastrophizing and increased job satisfaction among employees with MH (P<0.01).

Based on the findings, it can be concluded that MBCT was able to reduce the catastrophizing of pain and increase the job satisfaction of employees. For this purpose, it is suggested to hold workshops and programs by psychologists and specialists for employees with MH.

One of the factors affecting people’s mental health is having repeated and confused thoughts about COVID-19. In this regard, the present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on coping strategies and anxiety sensitivity of patients with COVID-19 obsession.

The present research method was quasi-experimental and pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of the study included patients with COVID-19 obsession in 2021. The study sample includes 30 patients with COVID-19 obsession who were selected using the convenience sampling method and were randomly divided into two experimental groups (n=15) and control groups (n=15). The collection tool included a questionnaire on COVID-19 obsession, coping strategies, and anxiety sensitivity. The experimental group received ten 90-minute sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy, but the control group received no intervention. Finally, the obtained data were analyzed by multivariate covariance analysis in SPSS software, version 24 (P<0.05).

The results showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy significantly increased the problem-oriented coping strategy and decreased the emotion-oriented coping strategy, avoidance coping strategy, and anxiety sensitivity (physical, cognitive and social) in patients with COVID-19 obsession (P<0.01).

The obtained findings indicated that cognitive-behavioral therapy can significantly improve the patients with COVID-19 obsession. Considering the long-term consequences of COVID-19, psychology and counseling centers should take measures to identify and treat vulnerable groups.