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The purpose of the present study is to investigate the impact of adding death-based intervention to cognitive-behavioral therapy on symptoms of panic and death anxiety among patients with panic disorder. It is also  compared with cognitive-behavioral therapy for panic disorder as usual treatment. The research population comprised  female patients with panic disorder referred to one of the psychiatric and counseling centers to treat in Qom city in 2019. Due to the limitation of the statistical population, the samples were selected through available sampling technique. The clients were interviewed by the researcher in addition to the psychiatrist's diagnosis. The total number of patients had cooperated in the research were 10, 11 and 9 in the first experimental group , second experimental group and control group, respectively. Templar Death Anxiety Scale, Anxiety Sensitivity Questionnaire were used for gathering information. The collected data were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA.The results showed that the mean score of death anxiety and panic symptoms for both groups of the post-test and follow-up in death awareness-based intervention were significantly lower in comparison with the cognitive-behavioral and the control groups. According to the research findings, it seems that treatment of panic disorder would be more effective by reducing or eliminating death anxiety simultaneously. In addition, it would be reduced the risk of recurrence.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of Parent-Child Interaction (PCIT) Therapy of mothers on children with separation anxiety disorder, on reducing over protection, parenting anxiety and anxiety symptoms of their 3-6 years old children. The research design was quasi-experimental with pre-test and post-test and control groups. To do so, 30 mothers of children with SAD (separation anxiety disorder) were selected using at-hand sampling and, then, they were replaced into two experimental and control groups after being matched. The research tools were included CSI-4 questionnaire (Sprafikin & Gadow, 1994), MCRE questionnaire (ROBERT, 1961), and State-trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) (Spielberger, 1960). The parental behavior training was performed in ten 90-minute sessions in experimental group. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance, gain score, and T-test. The results show the effectiveness of experimental treatment on reduced scores of anxiety in children of mothers in the experimental group compared with the control group. The results also showed decrease in over protection and anxiety in mothers in the experimental group. Generally speaking, the findings demonstrated that parent-child interaction education causes to reduce the separation anxiety disorder signs, parental anxiety symptoms, and over protection. Moreover, it constructs secure attachment between child and parents.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness based cognitive therapy anxiety and cigarette craving. The present research is a quasi-experimental, pre-test and post-test with the experimental and control group. The statistical population consisted of all smokers who were referred to health centers in 22nd district of Tehran in the spring of 1396. 30 Individuals were selected by available sampling method. The subjects were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. To measure anxiety, the Spielberger questionnaire and cigarette craving, Fagerstrom questionnaire were used. After selecting the experimental and control group, interventional training on mindfulness based cognitive therapy on the experimental group was performed for 8 sessions of 90 minutes and one session per week. One-way covariance analysis was used to analyze the data.  Data analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the mean of post test scores of the experimental and control groups in anxiety and cigarette craving (p<0.01); as mindfulness based cognitive therapy reduced anxiety and cigarette craving in experimental group.  Generally, could be showed that mindfulness based cognitive therapy could improve the psychological components of smoking cessation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of art therapy-based education on the symptoms of overt and covert anxiety, depression, and chronic fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study was a quasi-experimental clinical trial with pre-test and post-test research with a control group. Univariate analysis of covariance was used for the statistical analysis of data. The study population was all patients (319 people) referred to the clinic of the special disease of Ali Ibn Abi Taleb Hospital in Rafsanjan in the age range of 18 to 55 years. At the screening stage, a sample of 40 subjects was considered who were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Art therapy-based training classes for the experimental group were held in 14 sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the control group classes were held in 14 sessions (45-minute) with different content on Sundays and Mondays. The results showed that art-based education reduced the symptoms of anxiety, depression and fatigue In other words, 14 sessions of Art therapy-based training explained 30%, 11%, 22% and 11% of the variance of Explicit anxiety, hidden anxiety, depression, and fatigue.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of self-concept, emotion regulation, and coronavirus anxiety in predicting self-care behaviors related with covid-19 disease. Design of this study was correlation (prediction-based). The statistical population of the study included people aged 18 to 45 years, 355 people participated in the study by available sampling method and voluntarily through online calling. Data were collected using self-care behaviors questionnaire, emotion regulation questionnaire, integrative self-knowledge scale, self‐compassion scale–short form, self-concept clarity scale and corona disease anxiety scale. Data were analyzed using correlation tests and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The results showed a correlation test that self-concept clarity, cognitive reappraisal and coronavirus anxiety were positively and significantly correlated with self-care behaviors, but suppression was negatively and significantly correlated with it. Regression results showed that self-concept clarity, cognitive reappraisal and coronavirus anxiety were predictors of increased self-care behaviors, but suppression was negatively and significantly its predictor. According to the findings of this study, it can be used to determine educational priorities and psychological interventions to increase self-care behaviors and reduce the risk of Covid-19 disease.

Research has shown a negative correlation between mindfulness and defensive reactions to the reminder/thought of death, and the purpose of the present study was to illuminate the effect of meditation and mindfulness on these reactions using an experimental method. The call for participation in the study was sent to 30,000 subscribers of Hamrahe Aval and Irancell in Tehran and using the convenience sampling, 127 of them (53 males) with a mean age of 37 years were selected to participate in this study and were randomly assign to four groups of Meditation-Death Thought, Meditation-Without Death Thought, Without Meditation-Death Thought, and Without Meditation-Without Death Thought. After teaching Buddhist mindful breathing meditation and measuring mindfulness using Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS), death thought was created in participants using the method of Burke et al. (2010) and then death thought Suppression, as an immediate defense, was measured using the method of Arndt et al. (1997) once after creating death thought and once after a delay, and worldview defense, as a delayed defense, was measured using the method of Greenberg et al. (1990) after a delay. ANOVAs showed that meditation increased mindfulness and was able to prevent the effect of death thought on death thought suppression

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral stress management training on anxiety, cognitive avoidance, and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic pain. This semi-experimental study used a pre-test-post-test design with follow-up and a control group. The statistical population consisted of patients with chronic pain in Tehran during the second half of 2023. Thirty patients were selected using purposive sampling and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in 10 sessions of cognitive-behavioral stress management training (Hajilu et al., 2018). To evaluate the impact of the intervention, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (1990), the Sexton and Dugas Cognitive Avoidance Scale (2004), and the Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (2003) were administered at pre-test, post-test, and follow-up stages. Multivariate analysis of covariance revealed that the intervention significantly reduced anxiety and cognitive avoidance while improving health-related quality of life (P<0.05). The results suggest that cognitive-behavioral stress management training can be an effective intervention for improving the mental health and quality of life of patients with chronic pain.

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.

 

The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy in reducing anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty in students with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This semi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of female high school students diagnosed with OCD during the 2024–2025 academic year in Babolsar. Thirty participants were purposefully selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 in each). The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of emotion-focused therapy, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) and the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS) at pretest and posttest stages. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and the least significant difference test. Results indicated that emotion-focused therapy significantly reduced anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.01). These findings suggest that emotion-focused therapy can be an effective approach to reduce cognitive-emotional components related to OCD in adolescents.