Noura Dehghanpour, Dr Tavakol Mosazadeh, Dr Reza Kazemzadeh, Dr Vakil Nazari,
Volume 19, Issue 1 (6-2025)
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on anxiety sensitivity and alexithymia in women with skin picking and hair pulling disorders in Tehran. This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest control group design. A total of 30 female students from the Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, who met the research criteria for skin picking and hair pulling disorders, were selected using purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups. The experimental group received eight sessions of ACT, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using demographic information, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale at baseline, post-intervention, and a three-month follow-up. The results indicated no significant difference between the two groups in the pretest stage, confirming group homogeneity. However, posttest and follow-up results showed significant reductions in anxiety sensitivity and alexithymia scores in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that ACT is effective in reducing emotional and cognitive symptoms associated with skin picking and hair pulling disorders and may be considered a beneficial therapeutic approach for women affected by these conditions.
Mr. Hesam Soleimani, Mr. Amin Rahmati, Mr. Asem Esmaeili,
Volume 19, Issue 2 (9-2025)
Abstract
The present study was conducted by the structural modelling of attention to emotions (voluntary and involuntary) with worry and stress among students of Shahid Chamran university of Ahvaz with the mediating role of negative affect. The method of the present research was structural equation modeling and the population included all students of Shahid Chamran university of Ahvaz in year 1402-03, of which 312 were selected as a sample by simple random sampling. Structural equation modeling method, bootstrap test, SPSS, and AMOS version 24 software were used for data analysis. After the analysis, it was observed that the model has a good fit and the findings showed that involuntary attention to emotions is directly related to negative affect, worry and stress. But voluntary attention to emotions only has a direct relationship with negative emotions, and its relationship with worry and stress is indirect and through negative affect. Negative affect played a mediating role for the relationship between both types of attention to emotions with worry and stress.
Marzieh Barati, Zohreh Mortezaei Karahrody,
Volume 19, Issue 2 (9-2025)
Abstract
| The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on academic burnout and social anxiety symptoms among female upper secondary school students. The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group and a one-month follow-up. The statistical population consisted of female students attending public schools in Tehran, Iran, during the 2024–2025 academic year. Following an initial screening, 30 students with elevated levels of social anxiety were purposively selected and randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group.The experimental group participated in eight 90-minute sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Adolescent Social Anxiety Scale and the Academic Burnout Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance.The results indicated that ACT significantly reduced social anxiety symptoms and academic burnout in the experimental group compared to the control group, and these effects were maintained at the one-month follow-up. Overall, the findings suggest that ACT, through enhancing psychological flexibility and reducing experiential avoidance, can improve students’ academic and social adjustment and may serve as an effective intervention within educational settings. |
M.a Marziehsadat Hejazi, Ph.d Roya Mashak,
Volume 19, Issue 3 (12-2025)
Abstract
The aim of the study was to predict health anxiety based on experiential avoidance and self-compassion with the mediation of emotion regulation difficulty in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder. The research method was descriptive-correlational and the statistical population was mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder in Isfahan province from 1403 to 11402, of which 250 people were selected by convenience sampling. The collection tools were Salkoskis and Warwick's health anxiety (2002), experiential avoidance Bond et al. (2011), self-compassion Reis et al. (2011), and Gratz and Roemer's emotion regulation difficulty (2004). The results were analyzed using path analysis and SPSS26 and AMOS18 software. The findings showed that health anxiety on experiential avoidance, health anxiety on self-compassion, health anxiety on emotion regulation difficulty, experiential avoidance on emotion regulation difficulty, self-compassion on emotion regulation difficulty have a significant relationship, and health anxiety based on experiential avoidance has a significant relationship with the mediation of emotion regulation difficulty, and health anxiety based on self-compassion has a significant relationship with the mediation of emotion regulation difficulty. As a result, the research can help provide more targeted and effective interventions to reduce health anxiety in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder.
Dr Mojgan Agahheris, Dr Mahdieh Rahmanian, Dr Ezzatollah Kordmirza Nikoozadeh, Mr Soroush Pourmousaabkenar,
Volume 19, Issue 3 (12-2025)
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on reducing stress-related arousal in patients with respiratory problems: a randomized controlled clinical trial. The present study was a quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, control group, and a three-month follow-up period. The statistical population consisted of all patients with respiratory problems in 2024 (1403 in the Persian calendar). From this population, 30 individuals were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 each). All participants completed Cohen’s Perceived Stress Questionnaire (1983) before the intervention. Subsequently, the experimental group received Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in eight 90-minute sessions, held weekly. Research data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. The results showed that there was a significant difference in stress-related arousal between the two groups at the post-test and follow-up stages (p<0.05), indicating that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy was effective in reducing stress-related arousal (p<0.05). Accordingly, it can be concluded that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can be effective in reducing stress-related arousal in patients with respiratory problems.
Elnaz Baniani, Fatemeh Behroozfar, Arezoo Siahcheshm, Farnoosh Nikkhak,
Volume 19, Issue 4 (3-2025)
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of media literacy and emotion regulation training on reducing anxiety and improving mental health of adolescents with cyberspace addiction. The research method was applied in terms of purpose and quasi-experimental in terms of data collection method. This study is an applied research in terms of nature and a quasi-experimental research in terms of implementation and a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. The statistical population in this study included all adolescents with cyberspace addiction in Tehran between Farvardin 1404 and Shahrivar 1404 who referred to the Mind Ara Counseling Center. 45 people were selected purposefully from the statistical population and Beck Anxiety and GHQ Mental Health Questionnaires were distributed to them for response. Also, Gross's (2002) emotion regulation training intervention and Saleh Rad et al.'s (2019) media literacy training intervention were used to train students. Finally, it has been concluded that emotion regulation training has an effect on reducing anxiety and mental health of adolescents with cyberspace addiction, media literacy training has an effect on reducing anxiety and mental health of adolescents with cyberspace
Noura Dehghanpour, Tavakol Mosizadeh, Reza Kazemzadeh, Vakil Nazari,
Volume 19, Issue 4 (3-2025)
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of self-focused compassion therapy on distress tolerance and alexithymia in women with skin picking and hair picking disorder in Tehran. This study was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The research population included female students of Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, who were selected based on the inclusion criteria and purposive sampling method. A total of 45 eligible subjects were identified and after random assignment using a random number table, 30 subjects were replaced in two experimental (15 subjects) and control (15 subjects) groups. The experimental group received self-focused compassion therapy intervention, and the control group did not receive any intervention. Data collection tools included a demographic information questionnaire, a distress tolerance questionnaire, and an alexithymia questionnaire. Data were collected and analyzed in three stages: pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up. The results showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of distress tolerance and alexithymia at the pre-test stage, which indicated the initial homogeneity of the groups, but at the post-test and follow-up stage, a significant difference was observed between the two groups, indicating the effectiveness of self-focused compassion therapy in improving distress tolerance and reducing alexithymia in women with hair-picking disorder. Accordingly, it can be concluded that this therapeutic approach can be effective in reducing the severity of symptoms and improving the emotional indicators of these individuals.
Leila Kabiri, Molouk Khademi Ashkzari, Saeed Akbari-Zardkhaneh, Keyvan Salehi, Hossein Pourshahriar,
Volume 20, Issue 1 (4-2026)
Abstract
The increasing socio-cultural changes in recent years, coupled with the high prevalence of psychological health issues during the critical adolescent years and a research gap in this area, highlight the importance of investigating the factors that create a sense of well-being in adolescents. This study aimed to identify the conditions for sense of well-being and to present a conceptual framework of well-being for Iranian adolescents. A qualitative, constructivist approach and a grounded theory research design were used with the aim of conceptual ordering. The study population consisted of Iranian adolescents, mainly residing in the city of Qazvin, aged 16 to 19 years, who were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected from 2024 to 2025 through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews and Coding was performed manually in two stages initial and focused Coding based on the Charmazian approach, and themes were sorted using Excel 2019. This process yielded twelve core concepts: engagement, optimism, happiness, self-relationship, relationships with others, relationship with God, relationship with existence, self and family health, personal growth, flourishing community, moral values, and material resourcesThe findings of this research provide insights for policymakers and educators to create a suitable environment for fostering well-being.