Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Volume:17 Issue: 1, Mar 2023

Context: 

There is evidence of the positive effect of neurofeedback, neuropsychology, and phonological awareness interventions on improving dyslexia symptoms. However, no agreement exists on the effectiveness of these interventions and the most efficient intervention.

 This research aimed to compare the effectiveness of interventions based on neurofeedback, neuropsychology, and phonological awareness in improving dyslexia symptoms in students with the network meta-analysis method to determine the most efficient intervention.

Evidence Acquisition: 

A network meta-analysis was conducted to identify studies on neurofeedback, neuropsychology, and phonological awareness interventions. A systematic review was done using Scopus, PubMed, Magiran, SID, and Civilica databases to find studies related to the research objectives, which led to the analysis of 49 studies with 1,741 participants and 15 types of interventions compared to controls. Individual interventions were classified into neurofeedback, neuropsychology, and phonological awareness. The studies were evaluated in terms of the risk of bias. The data were analyzed using the frequency approach through R and R studio software to compare the direct and indirect evidence of the effectiveness of the interventions.

 Neurofeedback, neuropsychology, and phonological awareness interventions were effective in improving dyslexia symptoms compared to controls. The perceptual-motor method, among individual interventions, and neuropsychological interventions, among group interventions, were ranked as "interventions with greater effectiveness" in reducing dyslexia symptoms. Subgroup analysis was also performed to find the sources of heterogeneity and inconsistency.

 To the perceptual-motor method and neuropsychology intervention group were ranked as the best interventions.. However, most of these studies were conducted in Iran, and further studies in different cultural fields and countries can help clarify the issue.

 Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a genetic disease that causes the impaired conversion of melanin, thus leading to the development of vision impairment and skin/hair-related complications. This disease can also cause extensive psychosocial consequences for patients with this disease.

 This research aimed to provide a deep understanding of the lived experience of people with albinism (PWA) in Iran.

 this research has been conducted using a qualitative approach. The sampling was done as purposive and continued until reaching data saturation. The data were collected through deep semi-structured interviews, and then analyzed via thematic analysis, after transcribing the interviews and removing the similar codes, 1077 initial codes were extracted. The categories were coded using open coding indirect process alongside several times of reading the text and allocating relevant codes through constant comparison of codes with each other.

 The results obtained from data analysis led to extraction of three main themes including: (1) Challenges; (2) perceived sources of support; and (3) psychological mechanisms of coping with challenges.

 based on the findings of this research, the main challenges of PWA were categorized into two major groups: body-based challenges and psychosocial challenges. The perceived support sources of these people against these challenges were social supports and access to facilitator tools. The psychological mechanisms were divided into adaptive and maladaptive sub-categories. The findings of this research can provide a deeper understanding of the needs of these people for providing optimal care and ultimately promote their psychosocial well-being and also can be employed in developing interpretive theories about the biopsychosocial conditions of PWA.

 Studies showed that the adherence to practice guidelines is associated with a higher quality of care and better patient’s outcomes. In psychiatric practice, there is a quality gap between Practice guidelines (PGs) and routine clinical practice for the patients with schizophrenia which potentially hinders their recovery. One of the important reasons for this persistent gap is the lack of systematic methods to evaluate prescribers’ adherence to practice guidelines.

 This study aimed to develop and validate a medication assessment tool (MAT) to evaluate prescribers’ adherence to pharmacotherapy recommendations in PGs during the acute phase of schizophrenia (APSCZ) in Iran (MATAPSCZ).

 This methodological cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2021 to April 2022. According to the literature review and discussions in the research group, an item pool of 91 items was developed. Then face and content validity of the scale were evaluated. Then, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to specify the factor structure. At last, the reliability and responsiveness of the scale were assessed. The study sample consisted of 200 Iranian psychiatrists and final-year psychiatry residents.

 Eleven items were merged in qualitative content validity. Then, sixteen and six items were excluded from the scale in terms of having low content validity ratios and corrected item-total correlation, respectively. In exploratory factor analysis, the remaining 48 items were classified into six factors, which included 50.1% of the total variance. Based on the results, Cronbach’s alpha, and McDonald’s omega of all factors were higher than 0.7, AIC was 0.2 to 0.4 for all factors, and the intraclass correlation coefficient for MATAPSCZ was 0.914. The standard error of measurement was ± 4.5, and the percentage of minimum detectable change for the tool was calculated to be 6.15%, which indicates its excellent responsiveness.

 The MATAPSCZ has acceptable psychometric properties and could be a useful tool to evaluate prescribers’ adherence to practice guidelines pharmacotherapy recommendations during the APSCZ.

 The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused stress and anxiety for various parts of society all over the world. This concern and stress are not limited to being affected by COVID-19 because this condition has also caused changes in people’s lifestyles.

 The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate the validity and reliability of the COVID-19-related stressors questionnaire and determine the contribution of each of the stressors to the prediction of mental health in the Iranian population.

 This descriptive-analytical and correlational study was performed on 301 volunteers living in Tehran, Iran. Due to the prevalence of COVID-19, questionnaires were distributed by convenience sampling method and online conduction. The instruments used in the present study were the researcher-made questionnaire on Iranians’ COVID-19-related stressors (ICRS) and the mental health questionnaire general health questionnaire (GHQ-12). Content validity (qualitative and quantitative), face validity, structural validity (exploratory factor analysis), Cronbach’s alpha, and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS version 24 and AMOS24 software.

 In exploratory factor analysis, the final 25 items were obtained in seven factors with an explanation of 66.25% variance. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that worrying about changing economic status, getting COVID-19 and change in lifestyle increased the chance of developing mental health disorder up to 1.29 (OR = 1.29), 1.28 (OR = 1.28), and 1.18 times (OR = 1.18), respectively. The variable of changing family interactions reduces the chance of developing a mental health disorder by 0.85 times (OR = 0.85).

 The COVID-19-related stressors questionnaire is valid and can be used in future research. Identifying the most important stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and determining each contribution to mental health prediction will help health policymakers to make better decisions.

 The purpose of this study is to provide a phenomenological study of suicide attempts in men dealing with substance use.

 This is a qualitative study with a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. The participants of this study were 12 men who had a history of substance use and suicide attempts. The participants were chosen through an objective sampling method to participate in semi-structured interviews. The collected data were analyzed by the seven-stage Diekelmann et al. (1989) analysis method.

 The participants' experiences were analyzed on two separate themes. The first theme was "inefficient personality traits," having the two sub-themes of "impulsive behavior" and "emotional instability." The second theme was "the stigma related to addiction." Furthermore, this study resulted in a constitutive pattern known as crippled with remorse and judgment of others.

 Inefficient personality traits and the stigma related to addiction drive men with substance use to suicide attempts, and they are prone to commit suicide again if these conditions continue to prevail. Mental health consultants and psychiatrists can take effective measures to reduce and prevent suicide attempts if they consider this study's findings.

 Defense mechanisms are essential to personality and behavior that help individuals deal with stress. These mechanisms might act in different ways, rendering medical students caring physicians or egoistic individuals, and thus, a good understanding of defense mechanisms can contribute to the efforts made to improve the psychological well-being of medical students.

 We studied the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and alexithymia as determinants of psychological well-being and the mechanisms by which medical students might cope with stress and anxiety.

 The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 232 medical students, 126 (60%) females and 96 (40%) males, in northeast Iran. Data were collected through GAD-7, the Farsi version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (FTAS-20), and the Defense Styles Questionnaire (DSQ-40). Statistical analysis was performed with IBM SPSS 22.0. Pearson's chi-square test, bivariate correlations, and multiple linear regression analysis were used to identify associations between GAD, alexithymia, and defense mechanisms.

 A total of 87 (37.5%) participants showed moderate to severe anxiety. Alexithymia was detected in 49 (21%) participants. Mature defense mechanisms had the highest prevalence among participants (56.5%), while immature mechanisms had the least (23.3%). A significant positive correlation was noted between GAD and alexithymia. Also, GAD was positively correlated with immature and neurotic defense mechanisms (P < 0.05). A negative correlation was found between mature defense mechanisms and GAD (P < 0.001). Suppression and humor (mature mechanisms) were the negative predictors of GAD. Reaction formation, somatization, autistic fantasy, splitting, passive aggression, displacement, and pseudo-altruism (an immature and neurotic mechanism) were the positive predictors of GAD.

 The statistically significant correlations found among GAD, alexithymia, and defense mechanisms suggest that a good understanding of these conditions and mechanisms can contribute to alleviating anxiety among medical students and improving their psychological well-being.

 Alcohol consumption is one of the most common problematic issues globally that usually causes high costs for the health system. Also, schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder responsible for a heavy burden on healthcare providers.

 This study aimed to investigate alcohol use and alcoholism in schizophrenia in Iran.

 A cross-sectional (descriptive-analytical) study was conducted on 400 individuals with schizophrenia referred to the psychiatry hospital of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. History of alcohol consumption and the criteria of alcohol use disorder according to DSM-5-TR were sought during the interviews using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT).

 Of the patients, 45.5% had drunk alcohol at some point in their lives, 23% had low-risk alcohol consumption, and 10% experienced high-risk consumption. In addition, 1.5% of our sample suffered from alcoholism, according to the AUDIT.

 The results of our study in Iran regarding alcohol use in schizophrenia are more similar to those of Western countries than eastern countries. The ratio of alcohol use in schizophrenia compared with the general population was even higher in our study than in western countries.

 In recent years, particular emphasis has been placed on the role of mental imagery in psychopathologies.

 The current study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Spontaneous Use of Imagery Scale (SUIS-P) in the general Iranian population.

 The current psychometric study was carried out on 474 Iranian individuals in 2020 through convenience sampling. The SUIS, ambiguous scenarios test relevant to depressed mood (AST-D), and Beck Depression Inventory-second edition (BDI-II) were filled out by the study subjects. Moreover, for the determination of divergent validity between the SUIS and BDI-II, the Pearson correlation was also used. Data analysis was performed by SPSS Software (version 24).

 The internal consistency of the total score of the SUIS was acceptable (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.75). The significant positive relationship between the SUIS and AST-D (r = 0.34; P < 0.01) showed good convergent validity. No significant correlation was observed between the SUIS and BDI-II. Factor analysis using the principal component analysis with a varimax rotation introduced four factors. The four factors explained 0.55 of the total variance. Regarding construct validity, the inter-item correlation and item-total correlations of the SUIS-P were in an acceptable range.

 Based on the results, the SUIS has excellent psychometric properties in the Iranian population and can be used in research and therapeutic interventions.

 Increasing rates of violence in romantic relationships have been reported to relate to jealousy. Romantic jealousy may have protective or deleterious effects on relationships depending on the scope, severity, and influence of sexuality, attachment styles, and inherent socio-demographic correlates. Developing effective strategies for improving the quality of romantic relationships requires a thorough understanding of the dynamics of romantic jealousy.

 This study aimed to examine the effects of sexuality and attachment styles on romantic jealousy among female nurses in Edo State, Nigeria.

 In this cross-sectional study, the nurses (n = 468) from four hospitals in two local government areas in Edo State, Nigeria, were investigated. Participants were asked to complete a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Multidimensional Romantic Jealousy Scale, Multi-dimensional Sexuality Scale, and Adult Attachment Scale.

 Minority of the participants reported severe forms of romantic jealousy across domains (i.e., cognitive (16%), emotional (15.8%), and behavioral (17%)). While increasing age predicted cognitive jealousy, attachment styles, and sexuality jointly predicted all domains of romantic jealousy (R = 0.35, R2 = 0.12, F (11, 456) = 5.87, P < 0.01) among the participants.

 In sum, romantic jealousy was infrequent among our study participants. Patterns of attachment styles and sexuality were found capable of predicting romantic jealousy.

 Coercive control is an important topic related to couples’ relationships, and, therefore, appropriate measures are needed to assess this factor. Coercive control has three facets: (1) the abuser’s intentionality or goal orientation vs. motivation, (2) negative perceptions of controlling behaviors by the victim, and (3) the abuser’s ability to gain control through credible threats.

 This study aimed to devise a valid and reliable measure of coercive control in Iran.

 A coercive control scale based on the Canadian Violence Against Women Survey and Psychological Maltreatment of Women Survey was translated and back-translated. Based on the experts’ opinions, some items were added to the questionnaire, while others were changed to fully capture the nature of coercive control in Iran. The scale was named the Experiences of Coercive Control (ECC) Scale. The study period was between May and August 2021.

 The test-retest reliability of the ECC Scale was high, and the convergent validity of this scale with the Wife Abuse Questionnaire was confirmed. The analysis of the factor structure of the ECC Scale based on the principal component analysis method with a varimax rotation yielded a two-factor solution, including control via aggression and spying behaviors.

 The ECC Scale is a valid and reliable measure that could be used in emergency and non-emergency situations. The need to include more culture-appropriate items should be discussed in future research.

 Fear of missing out on social media can be one of the motivations for individuals to participate in social media. Participating in social networking sites is also associated with social network addiction and phubbing and can have problematic consequences for social media users.

 This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the fear of missing out scale (FoMOs) and the phubbing scale (TPS).

 The present study was conducted online by surveying Instagram social media users. A total of 431 individuals participated in this study and responded to the Farsi version of the FoMOs, TPS, and Social Network Addiction Test. For the assessment of the reliability of the test-retest, 40 participants answered the FoMOs and TPS separately in two 4-week periods. Correlation and factor analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 26) and Amos software (version 24) to analyze the data statistically.

 The results showed the high internal consistency of the FoMOs (α = 0.85) and TPS (α = 0.83). Test-retest reliability was good for the FoMOs and TPS. The concurrent validity of the FoMOs and TPS was obtained as 0.51 and 0.70, respectively. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis results also showed two factors for the FoMOs (i.e., trait- fear of missing out (FoMO) and state-FoMO) and two factors for TPS (i.e., communication disturbances and phone obsession) in the Farsi version, which are consistent with the original version of the two scales.

 The Farsi versions of the FoMOs and TPS for use in Iran have good validity and reliability.

 In the last decades, bipolar disorder treatments have undergone a gradual shift away from relying on clinical expertise to adopting evidence-based practice guidelines and expert consensus, leading to an improvement in medical care safety, patient performance, and quality of life. Nonetheless, suboptimal prescribing has remained an issue, and there is an excellent opportunity for improving the care standards to reduce symptoms’ recurrence, frequent hospitalizations, and costs.

 This study aimed to develop and validate a medication assessment tool for evaluating prescribers’ adherence to pharmacotherapy recommendations outlined in practice guidelines during the acute phase of bipolar disorder in Iran (MATAPBD).

 This mixed-method study was conducted from August 2021 to May 2022. A 54-item pool was developed based on the results from the literature review and research group discussion. The validity (i.e., face, content, and construct) and reliability (i.e., stability and internal consistency) of the tool were evaluated.

 Four items were rewritten in qualitative content validity. Then, eleven and five items were excluded from the scale in terms of having low content validity ratios and corrected item-total correlation, respectively. The construct validity of the MATAPBD was assessed by adopting the maximum-likelihood exploratory factor analysis method and Promax rotation. The number of latent factors was calculated by performing Horn’s parallel analysis. In exploratory factor analysis, the remaining 17 items were categorized into four factors which explained 57.97% of the total extracted variance. Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega of all factors were > 0.7, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.914 revealing the strong reliability of MATAPBD.

 The MATAPBD had good psychometric properties and may have been a valuable tool to evaluate prescribers’ adherence to practice guideline recommendations during the acute phase of bipolar disorder.

 The current research investigated the mediating roles of social alienation and emotional and cognitive regulation in the relation between personality and severity of substance abuse in students. This study is a descriptive-correlational research design.

 The sample of this study included all students in Tehran province (the academic year of 2022). Five hundred fifty students took part in the current research. NEO-PI-R, social alienation, and the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) were used. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling.

 Considering that the model fit indices represent a good fit of the model and the mean root square of the estimation error (RMSEA) was equal to 0.029, which shows a very good fit, and according to the presented indicators, the research model is confirmed. The results indicate that the relationship between variables is significant (P value 0.05). The direct effect of personality on the severity of addiction and social isolation is equal to -0.68 and -0.73, respectively, and in terms of cognitive emotion regulation is estimated to be 0.85. The indirect effect of personality on addiction severity was calculated at 0.86 by social alienation and -0.79 by emotional cognition.

 Our results suggest that personality features mediated by social alienation and emotional and cognitive regulation can be used to predict the severity of the addiction. Therefore, the proposed model was cleared to be an appropriate model for predicting substance abuse in students.

 Cyberbullying generates unfavorable feelings and behaviors among young people. Factors associated with emotional responses and coping strategies for cyberbullying need to be assessed.

 This study aimed to identify the factors associated with negative emotional responses and maladaptive coping strategies in response to cyberbullying among young people aged 13 - 24.

 Self-administered questionnaires were used for data collection across eight secondary schools and two universities in Pattani province, Thailand. A total of 227 students who experienced cyberbullying were included in this study.

 Students whose fathers had a bachelor's degree or higher, those whose fathers were farmers, merchants, or laborers, had a middle-class family income, and students experiencing high social stress had higher negative emotional responses to cyberbullying. Young people with fathers having bachelor's degrees or higher, having a low family income, and having low or moderate social support had more maladaptive coping strategies for cyberbullying.

 Attention should be paid to developing effective ways to reduce negative emotions and bad coping skills in these groups of students.

 There is evidence that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can be a chronic and prevalent condition that is more common in individuals with psychological disorders than in the general population.

 This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of hypnotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in mitigating chronic pain and cognitive-emotional regulation in patients with IBS.

 In this three-arm randomized clinical trial, participants who were adults with refractory IBS were screened. Co-primary outcomes were chronic pain indices and cognitive emotion regulation at a six-month follow-up. The statistical population of this study was all patients with IBS referred to Masoud Clinic and Shariati Hospital from May 2019 to February 2021 in Tehran, Iran. Twenty-four patients were calculated for each group, and 72 were for two experimental and one control group using convenience sampling. Seventy-two patients with IBS were accessible to us after the inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were selected and randomly assigned to either interventions or the control group (n = 24). The demographic checklist, Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire (CPGQ), and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) were used in three periods.

 Data were analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance. Preliminary findings showed that the effectiveness of both treatments on chronic pain indices and cognitive emotion regulation in the post-test stage was significant (P < 0.05). Secondary results showed that treatment efficacy remained stable until the follow-up stage.

 This study revealed hypnotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy could effectively treat patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Patients with IBS could benefit from psychological intervention based on these findings.

 Early relationships with parents and their influence on the development of psychopathology have been a topic of interest from different theoretical approaches. Early-life experiences have long-term distributive effects on children’s psychological and behavioral development.

 The present study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the Early Life Experiences Scale (ELES).

 For developing the Persian version of the ELES, the original scale was translated, reconciled, and back-translated. A sample of 231 students from Iran University of Medical Sciences selected by convenience sampling method in 2019 - 2020 responded to the questionnaires, namely the ELES, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Schizotypal Trait questionnaire-B form (STB), and Self-compassion Scale (SCS) Short-Form. The construct validity of the ELES was determined via confirmatory factor analysis and divergent and convergent validity. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability (two-week interval) were applied to evaluate the reliability. Data analysis was performed using LISREL (version 8.80) and SSPS (version 20) software.

 The results showed that the ELES is a reliable and valid tool with good internal consistency and test-retest reliability (> 0.70). Concerning convergent validity, ELES showed a significant positive correlation with DERS (r = 0.26) and STB (r = 0.37). It also showed a significant negative relationship with self-compassion (r = 0.45), which indicates the desired divergent validity. The results support the three-factor structure of this scale (submissiveness, feeling valued/unvalued, and feeling threatened) (comparative fit index (CFI): 0.96, normed fit index (NFI): 0.95, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA): 0.08).

 The early life experiences scale showed adequate validity and reliability and can be applied in evaluating early life experiences in the Iranian population.

 The thought of one’s own death is a fearful subject that is not easy to deal with. Fear of death can have various psychological effects on a person. Advances have been made in the measurement of death concerns leading to the development and validation of several scales as it varies according to social and cultural conditions.

 This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties, content validity, concurrent validity, and factor structure of a Persian version of the revised Fear of Personal Death Scale (FPDS-R) in an Iranian population.

 This study was conducted on residents of Tehran, Iran, using the online version of the FPDS-R, Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition, and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale questionnaires. Finally, data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 21). Moreover, the Pearson correlation coefficient and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used for data analysis.

 Among 313 individuals who completed the study, the fit of the five-factor model in CFA was confirmed using standard indices (root mean square error of approximation = 0.06; chi-square/df = 2.34). Reliability was confirmed by calculating Cronbach’s alpha (> 0.8). Cronbach’s alpha values for the reliability of "deprivation", "loss of self", "forgotten", "other-oriented" and "mystery" were 0.93, 0.88, 0.81, 0.86, and 0.88, respectively. The findings of this study confirmed the five factors model developed by Burris and Bailey (2009) on Iranian sample.

 The Persian version of the FPDS-R in Iranian society has good reliability and validity and can be used for personality research, identification and treatment of clinical disorders, and cross-cultural comparisons in this population.

 Breakfast is a very important meal. It can either make or break your day, and it can be a daunting task.

 We used the transtheoretical model (TTM) to assess the trend of breakfast eating among elementary school students in Jiroft city, Iran.

 In this descriptive‑analytic research, 290 elementary school students in Jiroft city were selected using stratified sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire to assess breakfast eating trends according to TTM. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.

 Approximately 9.3% of the participants were in the precontemplation stage, 21.7% in the contemplation stage, 7.2% in the action stage, 53.4% in the preparation stage, and 8.3% in the maintenance stage. There was a significant relationship between TTM constructs and stages of change in breakfast consumption 2 or more times a week. Moving from the precontemplation stage to the maintenance stage was associated with an increase in decisional balance, processes of change, and self‑efficacy (P < 0.05).

 It is suggested to emphasize the importance of perceived benefits and greater self-efficacy in the design of educational interventions based on this model, increase the use of change processes, and decrease the perceived barriers as much as possible to establish correct behaviors.

 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common condition in children, affecting 10% of Iranian children. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects many areas of children’s lives, especially their participation. The most important part of a child’s life is playing, which is affected by ADHD. Children with ADHD have difficulties in their playing. Play is a child’s work and the most critical occupation that a child has. However, there are a few bright protocols to improve play for the sake of play. This protocol describes interventions to improve play in children with ADHD.

 This is a double-blind clinical trial in parallel groups of children with ADHD aged 4 to 6 years. Trained occupational therapists will deliver therapy in the clinic for eight weeks during 16 sessions of 45 minutes. A follow-up assessment will be done eight weeks after the last therapy session.

 According to the results of the trial, evidence will be provided about a bright and feasible protocol for occupational therapists to address the play of children with ADHD that can have significant effects on their quality of life, play skills, and participation.

 The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its consequences may impact individuals’ mental health.

 The present study aimed to investigate the psychological status of individuals during the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran following the government’s social distancing plan.

 Data from 1,524 people were collected using a cross-sectional web-based survey via social media. Demographic variables and psychological status were evaluated using the General Health Questionnaire, Stress Response Inventory, and Brunel Mood Scale.

 Individuals reported that their mental health functioning decreased during the pandemic. Four factors were associated with increased stress: (1) fear of getting sick; (2) indefinite quarantine duration; (3) impaired daily activities; and (4) reduced social communication. One-third of the participants reported physical symptoms (32.7%), 47% anxiety, 72% social dysfunction, and 28.3% depression. Approximately half of the participants (52.2%) reported mental health disorder symptoms. Detrimental mental health characteristics were higher among females, younger people, and single people.

 Health policies should be implemented to help reduce the psychological burden during and after the Iranian government’s Social Distancing Plan, especially among females, single people, and younger people.