Maryam Abdoshahi
Abstract
Background: The effects of participation in sports and physical activities on mental health in menopausal women have been less examined. Therefore, the goal of the current research was to further investigate the effects of participation in sports and physical activities using a Pilates training intervention ...
Read More
Background: The effects of participation in sports and physical activities on mental health in menopausal women have been less examined. Therefore, the goal of the current research was to further investigate the effects of participation in sports and physical activities using a Pilates training intervention on mental health and happiness among menopausal women.Methods: The current research used an experimental method with pre-test and post-test using a control group. Thirty-two menopausal women from Tehran (district 5), Iran, in 2022, who were chosen using a convenience sampling method, participated in the study. The intervention group (n=16) was exposed to three months of Pilates exercises, while those in the control group (n=16) performed their regular daily activities. Mental health and happiness were measured using The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 and The Oxford-Happiness Inventory, respectively, prior to and following the intervention. Independent t-test and analysis of covariance using SPSS version 26 were utilized to analyze the data.Results: The results showed similar mental health and happiness within both groups at baseline. Moreover, the results revealed that our sample had medium to high symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress at pretest. Furthermore, the participants in the intervention group reported lower depression (P<0.001), anxiety (P<0.001), and stress (P<0.001) as well as higher happiness (P<0.001) following the intervention than the control group.Conclusions: Based on our findings, it is recommended that menopausal women participate in various sports training courses such as Pilates to improve their mental health status.
Sedigheh Sakkaki; Farah Naderi; Fariba Hafezi
Abstract
Background: The diagnosis of cervical cancer significantly affects the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of women. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and experiential avoidance (EA) with HRQOL, mediated by depression in women with cervical cancer.Methods: ...
Read More
Background: The diagnosis of cervical cancer significantly affects the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of women. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and experiential avoidance (EA) with HRQOL, mediated by depression in women with cervical cancer.Methods: This descriptive-correlational study selected 261 cervical cancer cases in Mashhad, Iran in 2021, using purposive sampling from October 10, 2021 to December 24, 2021. The research tools include the SF-36 Questionnaire, the Chalder Fatigue Scale, the Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire, and Beck Depression Inventory. Data analysis was done using Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling in SPSS version 27 and AMOS version 24.Results: The results indicated that all direct paths, with the exception of CFS, significantly correlated with HRQOL (P<0.001). Depression mediated the significant indirect paths of CFS to HRQOL and the significant relationship between EA and HRQOL (P<0.001).Conclusions: The findings of this study revealed that CFS and EA were negatively related to HRQOL in women with cervical cancer. Moreover, depression mediated the relationship of CFS and EA with HRQOL.
Rohollah Sharifi Nejad Rodani; Fatemeh Sadat Marashian; Masoud Shahbazi
Abstract
Background: The stability and quality of emotional relationships can directly and indirectly affect the mental and physical health of women. This survey was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Schema Therapy (ST) on psychological well-being and cognitive ...
Read More
Background: The stability and quality of emotional relationships can directly and indirectly affect the mental and physical health of women. This survey was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Schema Therapy (ST) on psychological well-being and cognitive distortion in single women with Love Trauma Syndrome (LTS).Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental designed by pre-test-post-test with a control group. The statistical population included all single women with LTS visiting counseling centers in Ahvaz, Iran in 2022. The statistical sample consisted of 45 participants who were selected using purposive sampling and were assigned into two experimental groups and one control group via simple random allocation. The first and second experimental groups received ACT (eleven 90-minute sessions per week), and ST (ten 90-minute sessions per week), respectively, while the control group was on the waiting list. The research instruments included the Psychological Well-being (PWB) Scale and the Interpersonal Cognitive Distortion Scale (ICDS). Analysis of covariance in SPSS version 26 was used for data analysis.Results: The results showed that ACT and ST significantly influenced the psychological well-being and cognitive distortion of single women with LTS (P<0.001). The mean and standard deviation (SD) of psychological well-being and cognitive distortion were 60.10±7.76 and 58.87±7.42 in the pretest in the ACT group, whereas it was 70.33±8.16 and 65.80±8.31 in the posttest. Moreover, the mean and SD of psychological well-being and cognitive distortion were 48.00±5.25 and 50.07±4.89 in the pretest in the ST group, whereas it was 39.33±5.16 and 44.00±4.48 in the posttest. ACT had a more significant effect on the psychological well-being and cognitive distortion of participants than ST (P<0.001).Conclusion: In conclusion, ACT was better suited for addressing the psychological well-being and cognitive distortion of single women with LTS. Based on these results and considering the role of ACT and ST, it is possible to help women with LTS enjoy psychological well-being by holding ACT and ST sessions.
Nahide Naderi Moghaddam; Amir Panah Ali; Ali Naghi Aghdasi; Masoud Hejazi
Abstract
Background: The study focuses on the increasing rates of divorce and the need for effective therapeutic interventions to reduce marital conflict and emotional divorce. The current study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in reducing marital conflict and emotional ...
Read More
Background: The study focuses on the increasing rates of divorce and the need for effective therapeutic interventions to reduce marital conflict and emotional divorce. The current study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in reducing marital conflict and emotional divorce among women who are facing divorce and seeking services at Zanjan family counseling centers, Zanjan, Iran.Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in the second half of 2021. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit 20 participants from Zanjan family counseling centers, who were randomly allocated into two groups. The treatment group received ten sessions of 60 minutes twice a week (5 weeks) of acceptance and commitment therapy. The Marital Conflict Questionnaire and Emotional Divorce Scale were used as research tools to measure pretest and posttest scores. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance in SPSS version 24 to compare the mean scores for marital conflict and emotional divorce between the treatment and control groups.Results: The findings of the study revealed that acceptance and commitment therapy was effective in reducing both marital conflict and emotional divorce scores in the treatment group compared to the control group. The mean score for marital conflict decreased significantly from 172.50±18.23 to 147.25±15.68 in the treatment group (P<0.001), while the control group showed no significant changes. The mean score for emotional divorce also decreased significantly from 2.35±16 to 1.93±12 in the treatment group (P<0.001), while the control group again showed no significant changes.Conclusion: This research demonstrated that acceptance and commitment therapy is an effective psychotherapy for reducing marital conflict and emotional divorce in women at risk of divorce who referred to family counseling centers. The findings of this study have practical implications for counseling settings.
Mahin Tahvilian; Elham Foroozandeh; Seyed Mostafa Banitaba
Abstract
Background: Marital conflicts can exacerbate anxiety, depression, and stress in couples and adversely affect their psychological well-being. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of psychodrama and cognitive-behavioral therapy on the psychological well-being of women with marital conflicts.Methods: ...
Read More
Background: Marital conflicts can exacerbate anxiety, depression, and stress in couples and adversely affect their psychological well-being. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of psychodrama and cognitive-behavioral therapy on the psychological well-being of women with marital conflicts.Methods: This was a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest, follow-up study with a control group. The statistical population included all the married women with marital conflicts referring to the counseling departments of cultural centers in Isfahan Municipality in 2021. Sixty women were selected as the sample by cluster sampling method and randomly assigned to two experimental groups (cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychodrama) and a control group (20 participants per group). The first experimental group underwent twelve 180-minute sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy, while the second experimental group received twelve 180-minute sessions of psychodrama. To collect data, Psychological Well-Being Scale was used. Data analysis was performed through repeated measures ANOVA.Results: According to the results, these two methods affected the psychological well-being components of the women with marital conflicts (P<0.001). The mean±SD of psychological well-being in the post-test and follow-up stages was respectively 61.05±8.35 and 60.10±8.95 in the cognitive-behavioral therapy, and 46.15±5.87 and 45.00±5.17 in the control group. Moreover, the mean±SD of psychological well-being in the post-test and follow-up stages was respectively 65.80±7.54 and 64.67±8.22 in the psychodrama group. The results also revealed that the components of psychological well-being in the women with marital conflicts in the two experimental groups in the post-test and follow-up stages had a significant increase compared to those in the pre-test stage (P<0.001). The two methods were significantly different only in terms of the effects on environmental mastery (P<0.001). Psychodrama was found to be more effective than cognitive-behavioral therapy.Conclusions: Psychodrama and cognitive-behavioral therapy can result in positive outcomes, such as improving psychological well-being in couples therapy and marital relationships. Therefore, the use of these two interventions could be recommended to psychotherapists for improving the psychological well-being of women with marital conflicts.
Mahta Farzadkia; Abdolhassan Farhangi; Shahnam Abolghasemi
Abstract
Background: Patients with Fibromyalgia, in addition to widespread pain, often complain of fatigue, sleep disorders, cognitive impairment, anxiety, and depression. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction and intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy ...
Read More
Background: Patients with Fibromyalgia, in addition to widespread pain, often complain of fatigue, sleep disorders, cognitive impairment, anxiety, and depression. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction and intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy on intolerance of uncertainty and depression in women with Fibromyalgia.Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest control design and a three-month follow-up. The study population included all women with Fibromyalgia visiting the rheumatology clinic at Hazrat-e Rasool-e Akram Hospital, in Tehran, Iran, in 2021. A total of 36 patients were recruited using purposive sampling and assigned to three groups, two experimental groups and one control group (n=12 patients in each group). The experimental groups 1 and 2 received mindfulnessbased stress reduction therapy and intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy, respectively, in eight 120-minute sessions (one session every week). Meanwhile, the control group did not receive psychotherapy intervention during this period. The Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory were used for data collection. The repeated measures ANOVA were used for analyzing the data in SPSS version 25. The significance level of the research was set at α=0.05.Results: The results indicated that both mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy and intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy effectively reduced intolerance of uncertainty and depression in Fibromyalgia patients (P<0.001). However, intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy proved to be significantly more effective than mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy; this difference was observed through the follow-up period (P<0.001).Conclusion: Mindfulness-based stress reduction and intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy were effective and practical methods for reducing intolerance of uncertainty and depression. It could be therefore recommended that psychotherapists and counselors employ these approaches in order to reduce depression and intolerance of uncertainty in women with Fibromyalgia.
Iman Nazari; Behnam Makvandi; Naser Saraj Khorrami; Alireza Heidari
Abstract
Background: Considered as a major health concern worldwide, breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer among women. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of gestalt group therapy and reality therapy on perceived self-efficacy in women with BC.Methods: This quasi-experimental research ...
Read More
Background: Considered as a major health concern worldwide, breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer among women. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of gestalt group therapy and reality therapy on perceived self-efficacy in women with BC.Methods: This quasi-experimental research adopted a pretest and posttest with a control group and follow-up period. The statistical population included all the women with BC visiting the subspecialty clinic of cancer in Yasuj, Iran, in 2021. We selected 60 patients via convenience sampling method. Afterwards, using a random number table, we placed them in two experimental groups and a control group (n=20 women in each group). The first experimental group received gestalt therapy (10 sessions of 60 minutes; once a week) while the second experimental group received reality therapy (based on choice theory) (10 sessions of 60 minutes; once a week). The control group was placed on the waiting list. We used the general self-efficacy scale for data collection. The data were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS version 25.Results: Mean and standard deviation of the perceived self-efficacy for gestalt therapy, reality therapy, and control groups in the posttest were 52.06±8.83, 55.93±8.66, and 39.33±7.56, respectively. The results indicated that the gestalt group therapy and the reality therapy affected the perceived self-efficacy of women with BC (P<0.001). Moreover, the findings depicted no significant differences between the gestalt group therapy and the reality theory. The effects persisted in the follow-up (P<0.001).Conclusions: According to the results, the gestalt group therapy and the reality therapy could improve the psychological capacity and adaptability of women with BC in different personal and social aspects. Hence, psychotherapists are advised to employ gestalt group therapy and reality therapy in counseling centers in order to enhance perceived self-efficacy in women with BC.
Mohamad Reza Farshad; Sayed Abdolvahab Samavi
Abstract
Background: Self-criticism is one of the psychological impairments with inappropriate consequences for all members of a family, especially women. It is affected by various factors. The present study aimed to assess the mediating role of cognitive fusion and experiential avoidance in the correlation between ...
Read More
Background: Self-criticism is one of the psychological impairments with inappropriate consequences for all members of a family, especially women. It is affected by various factors. The present study aimed to assess the mediating role of cognitive fusion and experiential avoidance in the correlation between self-criticism and external shame.Methods: The present research utilized the structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all the married women aged 20 to 60 years in Bandar Abbas, Iran in 2022, out of whom 293 were selected via available sampling. For data collection, self-critical questionnaires (Louise, 2004), external shame questionnaire (Gross et al., 1994), cognitive fusion questionnaire (Gilanders et al., 2014), and experiential avoidance questionnaire (Bund et al., 2011) were used. The data were analyzed using correlation and path analysis methods via SPSS Version 26 and AMOS Version 24.Results: The results indicated that external shame (P<0.001), cognitive fusion (P<0.001), and experiential avoidance (P<0.001) had a direct, significant, and positive effect on self-criticism. The results of a path analysis revealed that external shame through cognitive fusion (P<0.001) had a significant indirect effect on self-criticism. Furthermore, external shame had a significant indirect effect on self-criticism through experiential avoidance (P<0.001).Conclusions: The results suggested that psychologists and counselors reduce the psychological impairment threatening the family system by holding educational workshops and performing individual and group therapies.
Maryam Behroz; Fatemeh Sadat Marashian; Marjan Alizadeh
Abstract
Background: Social compromise is one of the principal components of mental health in head-of-household women. Empowerment and promotion of cognitive emotion regulation are critical in social compromise. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between stress coping strategies and social ...
Read More
Background: Social compromise is one of the principal components of mental health in head-of-household women. Empowerment and promotion of cognitive emotion regulation are critical in social compromise. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between stress coping strategies and social compromise with empowerment through the mediation role of cognitive emotion regulation in head-of-household women.Methods: In this descriptive and correlational study, the statistical population comprises all head-of-household women in Yasuj, Iran in 2021, of whom 258 were selected through convenient sampling. The research instruments included the Psychological Empowerment Scale, the Adjustment Inventory, Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the statistical correlation method and structural equation modeling in SPSS and AMOS version 25.Results: The mean and standard deviation of social compromise, problem-focused strategies, emotion-focused strategies, avoidance strategies, adaptive emotion regulation, maladaptive emotion regulation, and empowerment were 14.22±4.60,16.11±4.71, 22.02±5.16, 23.65±4.88, 25.35±10.19, 20.34±8.14, and 39.25±10.84, respectively. The results showed a significant correlation between stress-coping strategies and social compromise with empowerment (P<0.001). Furthermore, the correlation between stress coping strategies and social compromise with empowerment was significant through the mediation of cognitive emotion regulation (P<0.001). The results showed that the final model fit well (CFI=0.99, RMSEA=0.028).Conclusion: The proposed model had a desirable fitting. The head-of-household women who have social compromise when facing problems can deal with the stress caused by problems through sympathy and consulting with others, as well as using stress coping strategies, and as a result of this empowerment, they enjoy sufficient mental health.
Shahin Tabarzan; Farzaneh Hooman; Saeed Bakhtiarpour
Abstract
Background: Cyberspace has attracted sizeable audience thanks to its broad range of topics, diverse content, and audio and visual attractions. However, Internet addiction is believed to be a salient phenomenon as the consequence of improper use of cyberspace, which leads to mental and personality-related ...
Read More
Background: Cyberspace has attracted sizeable audience thanks to its broad range of topics, diverse content, and audio and visual attractions. However, Internet addiction is believed to be a salient phenomenon as the consequence of improper use of cyberspace, which leads to mental and personality-related disorders. The present research aimed to investigate the mediating role of sexual satisfaction in the correlation among the quality of married life, Internet addiction, and mindfulness in patients with breast cancer.Methods: This is a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population herein comprised all the women with breast cancer in Tehran, Iran in 2022, out of whom a sample of 250 was conveniently selected. The research tools included the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale, the Internet Addiction Test, the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills, and the Index of Sexual Satisfaction. The research model was evaluated with structural equation modeling in AMOS-25 and SPSS version 27.Results: Based on the obtained results, the mean and standard deviation (SD) of quality of married life, Internet addiction, mindfulness, and sexual satisfaction were 47.90±6.71, 59.18±8.88, 53.09±8.73, and 66.25±7.14, respectively. The results revealed the significance of all the direct paths (P<0.001), except for the path of mindfulness to the quality of married life. The indirect paths from Internet addiction to the quality of married life mediated by sexual satisfaction (P=0.010), and the association between mindfulness and the quality of married life mediated by sexual satisfaction (P=0.015) were also significant. Furthermore, the final model was found to have good fit (RMSEA=0.027).Conclusions: The research model herein had a desirable fit. It is an appropriate model, according to which different programs can be developed and designed in order to improve the quality of married life of patients with breast cancer.
Parvaneh Bahmani Makvandzadeh; Amin Koraei; Seyedeh Zahra Alavi; Seyed Esmaeil Hashemi
Abstract
Background: Depression could negatively impact the mood, behavior, attitude, and efficiency of women and massively harm family performance. The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of the self-esteem in the association of attachment behaviors with depression and marital quality in women ...
Read More
Background: Depression could negatively impact the mood, behavior, attitude, and efficiency of women and massively harm family performance. The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of the self-esteem in the association of attachment behaviors with depression and marital quality in women in Ahvaz, Iran.Methods: The study was descriptive-correlational estimated through structural equation modeling. The statistical population was made up of married women with at least high school education in Ahvaz, Iran in 2021. Convenience sampling was used to choose 340 individuals. The instruments included the Quality Marriage Index (QMI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI- 13), the Brief Accessibility, Responsiveness, and Engagement (BARE) Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). A path analysis approach was adopted to evaluate the proposed model and the indirect relationships were examined through bootstrapping in AMOS version 24.Results: The mean and standard deviation (SD) of depression, marital quality, and self-esteem were 5.78±2.86, 28.58±6.48, and 7.22±2.93, respectively. Depression was negatively correlated with marital quality (r=-0.78) and self-esteem (r=-0.72) in women. The direct paths from attachment behaviors to self-esteem (P<0.001) and from self-esteem to depression (β=-0.53, P<0.001) and marital quality (β=0.18, P<0.001) were significant. The indirect paths from attachment behaviors to depression and marital quality through self-esteem were also significant (P<0.05).Conclusion: The suggested model suited the data well. The relationship between attachment behaviors, depression, and marital quality in women was mediated by self-esteem. Workshops on boosting self-esteem and outlining its advantageous effects on women’s mental health are advised.
Mahtab Dizaj Khalili; Shahrokh Makvand Hosseini; Parviz Sabahi
Abstract
Background: The problems imposed by multiple sclerosis (MS) can affect the patients’ mental health socially and psychologically. Patients must thus acquire practical coping mechanisms to deal with their illness and go on living. The present study examined the impact of mindfulness-based cognitive ...
Read More
Background: The problems imposed by multiple sclerosis (MS) can affect the patients’ mental health socially and psychologically. Patients must thus acquire practical coping mechanisms to deal with their illness and go on living. The present study examined the impact of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and imagery rescripting and reprocessing treatment (IRRT) on emotional tiredness in MS-affected women.Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, the statistical population comprised 145 women with MS who had registered in the Iran MS Society in Tehran, Iran from May to October 2019. A sample of 45 was conveniently selected and randomly divided into two experimental and one control group (15 patients per group). The control group received no training, whereas the first experimental group experienced seven sessions of IRRT, the second experimental group underwent eight 90-minute sessions of MBCT. The data were collected using Emotional Exhaustion subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyze the data.Results: Based on the results, two therapies significantly differed in terms of emotional exhaustion (P<0.001). The mean (SD) of the post-test score of emotional exhaustion in the MBCT and IRRT groups was 40.73 (1.66) and 41.20 (1.47), respectively, which was different from the control group (43.76(1.80)). However, there was no significant difference between the effectiveness of the two therapies on emotional exhaustion in women with MS. The effects of the interventions on emotional exhaustion persisted during three-month follow-up.Conclusions: IRRT and MBCT can be recommended as effective interventions to improve the emotional exhaustion of women with MS.
Mohammadmorad Khoshakhlagh; Fatemeh Sadat Marashian; Hamdollah Jayervand
Abstract
Background: The mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience extreme stress due to the limited social, communicational, and emotional competencies of their children along with inefficient cognitive development and maladjustment. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness ...
Read More
Background: The mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience extreme stress due to the limited social, communicational, and emotional competencies of their children along with inefficient cognitive development and maladjustment. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy and pivotal response treatment (PRT) in family satisfaction in mothers of children with ASD. Methods: The research method was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest control group design. The study population comprised all mothers of children with autism in Ahvaz, Iran in 2021. Forty-five mothers were selected through convenience sampling and were randomly divided into two experimental groups and one control group (each with 15 members). The experimental group underwent positive psychotherapy (fourteen 90-minute sessions) and PRT (twelve 90-minute sessions). However, the control group received no intervention. The data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance. Results: The mean±standard deviation of the post-test scores of family satisfaction in the positive psychotherapy and PRT groups was 33.66±6.98 and 36.26±6.57, which was significantly different from the control group (18.53±4.05). The results suggested that both positive psychotherapy and PRT were effective in increasing family satisfaction in mothers of children with autism (p <0.001). There were no significant differences between the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy and PRT in increasing family satisfaction in mothers of children with autism. Conclusion: It can be concluded that positive psychotherapy and PRT can be adopted to increase the family satisfaction of mothers.
Laleh Kianpour Barjoee; Naser Amini; Moloud Keykhosrovani; Abdollah Shafiabadi
Abstract
Background: Women with breast cancer may suffer from numerous psychological, physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional problems. If their psychological disorders persist, they may perceive a high level of stress. We conducted the present study to evaluate the effect of positive thinking skills training ...
Read More
Background: Women with breast cancer may suffer from numerous psychological, physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional problems. If their psychological disorders persist, they may perceive a high level of stress. We conducted the present study to evaluate the effect of positive thinking skills training and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on perceived stress among women with breast cancer in Ahvaz, Iran in 2019. Methods: This was an experimental controlled pretest-posttest study. A sample of 45 women with breast cancer was conveniently selected and randomly allocated to the positive skills training group, ACT group, and the control group. The first and second experimental groups underwent eight sessions (90-minute sessions per week) of positive thinking skills training and ACT, respectively. The research instrument included the Perceived Stress Scale. One-way analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data. Results: The mean±SD of the post-test scores of perceived stress in the positive thinking skills training group was 17.01±2.32 while it was 22.53±1.45 in the ACT group, which was significantly different from the control group (54.10±4.37). Positive thinking skills training and ACT both reduced the perceived stress in women with breast cancer in the experimental groups compared to that in the control group. Positive thinking skills training had a significantly greater effect than ACT on mitigating perceived stress (p <0.001). Conclusion: According to the results, positive thinking training and ACT were effective in reducing perceived stress in women with breast cancer. Moreover, positive thinking training was more effective in declining stress in women with breast cancer.
Sahar Hosseini; Reza Moshfeghinia; Soheil Ashkani-Esfahani; Hafez Shojaadini; Najmeh Maharlouei; Kamran Bagheri Lankarani
Abstract
The widespread lockdown and stay-at-home calls around the world in order to halt the spread of COVID-19 have reduced social interactions, availability of social and healthcare services, as well as financial and workforce resources (1, 2). Moreover, it has led to allocating a greater proportion of healthcare ...
Read More
The widespread lockdown and stay-at-home calls around the world in order to halt the spread of COVID-19 have reduced social interactions, availability of social and healthcare services, as well as financial and workforce resources (1, 2). Moreover, it has led to allocating a greater proportion of healthcare resources to COVID-19 care, which impairs the services for other vulnerable groups of the society, specifically women. In addition to certain factors, including physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual aspects, which affect the individuals’ health status, regarding women’s health, two additional factors are considered, namely familial and social factors, although they overlap in certain aspects.
Habibeh Mohammadi; Javad Khalatbari; Khadijeh Abolmaali
Abstract
Background: Psychological distresses and stresses are believed to significantly increase the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In contrast, healthy lifestyle plays an effective role in the prevention and treatment of IBS. The present article investigated the effect of integrating cognitive-behavioral ...
Read More
Background: Psychological distresses and stresses are believed to significantly increase the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In contrast, healthy lifestyle plays an effective role in the prevention and treatment of IBS. The present article investigated the effect of integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness therapy on the lifestyle of patients with IBS in Tehran. Methods: This study was quasi-experimental (pre-test, post-test, and a one-month follow-up design, and a control group). The statistical population herein included all the women with IBS referred to the Gastroenterology Research Center of Shariati Hospital in Tehran in 2020. We selected 30 patients who were willing to participate in the study using convenience sampling and randomly divided them into the control and experimental groups (n=15 per group). The experimental group underwent 12 sessions (90-minute sessions, two days a week) of integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness therapy, yet the control group received no intervention. The research instrument included the Lifestyle Questionnaire (LSQ). Data analysis was carried out using repeated measures ANOVA. Results: The results indicated that integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness therapy effectively improved lifestyles in women with IBS (p <0.001). The mean post-test and follow-up scores of the experimental group were 162.58±30.83 and 166.00±26.61, respectively, which increased compared to the pre-test (110.58±10.02), post-test (107.17±9.52), and follow-up (103.33±7.24) of the control group. Conclusion: Integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness therapy could be recommended as an effective training to improve the lifestyle of women with IBS.
Hora Ameri Ahmad; Masoumeh Rostami; Sahar Dalvand; Azam Rahmani; Reza Ghanei Gheshlagh
Abstract
Contex: Sexual function during pregnancy affects martial satisfaction of couples and increases empathy in the completion of pregnancy and women’s self-confidence with reduction in fears. Studies on the sexual function of Iranian pregnant women have shown controversial results. The present study ...
Read More
Contex: Sexual function during pregnancy affects martial satisfaction of couples and increases empathy in the completion of pregnancy and women’s self-confidence with reduction in fears. Studies on the sexual function of Iranian pregnant women have shown controversial results. The present study aimed to review the sexual function of Iranian pregnant women. Methods: The international and national databases of Web of Science/ISI, PubMed, Scopus, MagIran, and SID databases using “sex”, “sexuality”, “sexual intercourse”, “sexual function”, “sexual dysfunction”, and “pregnancy” without a time limit. We included all the papers published in Persian and English reporting the mean score of sexual function of pregnant women. Based on the pre-designed form, the required data included the name of the first authors, year of publication, sample size, research setting, questionnaire type, and methodological quality, which were extracted and recorded. Data analysis was performed in STATA version 14 using a meta-analysis method and random-effects models. The heterogeneity of the studies was evaluated utilizing the I2 test. Results: In total, 11 articles with the total sample size of 2,657 were reviewed. The highest and lowest standard scores of sexual function were reported in the first pregnancy trimester (58.92%; 95% CI: 54.08-63.75) and the third trimester (47.70%; 95% CI: 23.18-39.56), respectively. In addition, publication bias was significant in the first (P=0.001), second (P=0.009), and third trimesters (P=0.014). Conclusion: The sexual function of women was found to reduce through pregnancy progress. Therefore, sexual function assessment and counseling on pregnancy care seem crucial for pregnant women.
Maryam Baradaran-Binazir; Ramak Zavvarkabeh; Fariba Heidari
Abstract
Background: Women are less likely to meet the suggested levels of physical activity compared to men, particularly in the rural setting. For this reason, community-based interventions associated with physical activity were developed to improve physical activity in village women. We conducted the present ...
Read More
Background: Women are less likely to meet the suggested levels of physical activity compared to men, particularly in the rural setting. For this reason, community-based interventions associated with physical activity were developed to improve physical activity in village women. We conducted the present study to explore the experience of target group in term of physical activity to identify factors that could be strengthened and the weaknesses that could be improved. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted applying content analysis. The study setting was Saied Abad, a village in the northwest of Iran. The data were collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted between August 2018 and January 2019. All the participants were rural women, who had experienced at least once doing physical activity in the community-based intervention named Women’s Park. Results: The findings were classified into two main categories and six subcategories: (a) intrapersonal facilitators, such as habituation, (b) interpersonal facilitators, such as family support, (c) environmental facilitators, such as practical activities, (d) intrapersonal barriers, such as lack of time due to family responsibilities, (e) interpersonal barriers, such as not having the support of friends, and (f) environmental barriers, such as cost. Conclusion: In the rural women’s experience, the factors affecting doing physical activity were both facilitators and barriers. This study demonstrated that in addition to the intrapersonal factors, doing physical activity is affected by interpersonal and environmental factors. These findings will be helpful in promoting community-based interventions and scheduling rural women’s health promotion behaviors.
Gooya Safinia; Hossein Ebrahimi Moghadam; Khadijeh Abolmaali
Abstract
Background: The recent problems of couples necessitate the greater focus of research in this field on relationships between couples. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of transactional analysis training on communication skills and attribution beliefs of incompatible women in Tehran, Iran. ...
Read More
Background: The recent problems of couples necessitate the greater focus of research in this field on relationships between couples. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of transactional analysis training on communication skills and attribution beliefs of incompatible women in Tehran, Iran. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental. The research population included all incompatible women who were referred to the psychological clinics of district 1 of Tehran, Iran in 2020. Thirty women were selected as the sample using convenience sampling and randomly divided into experimental and control groups (n=15 in each group). The experimental group underwent eight sessions (60-minutes sessions per week) of transactional analysis training. The follow-up was performed after 60 days. The research instruments included the Communication Skills Questionnaire, the Relationship Attribution Measure, and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Data analysis was conducted using repeatedmeasures ANOVA by SPSS software version 24.0. Results: The mean± SD of the post-test scores of communication skills and attribution beliefs of incompatible women was (115.93±8.40) and (85.33±13.40) in the experimental group and (87.93±8.53) and (113.23±12.53) in the control group. The results showed that transactional analysis training effectively and persistently improves communication skills and attribution beliefs of incompatible women (p <0.001). Conclusion: Transactional analysis training can be recommended as an intervention to improve the quality of life of families with computability problems.
Halimeh Enayat; Majid Movahed Majd; Marzieh Fazeli
Abstract
Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases that could lead to cervical cancer. The current study aimed to assess the awareness of young girls about HPV and the relevant current sources of information about HPV. The present work also investigated ...
Read More
Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted diseases that could lead to cervical cancer. The current study aimed to assess the awareness of young girls about HPV and the relevant current sources of information about HPV. The present work also investigated the social factors related to young girls’ awareness of HPV. Method: Methodologically, this was a cross-sectional study. The sample population was 303 single girls living in Shiraz, Iran. We used quota sampling. The data collection was carried out during October to November 2018. Data gathering tool included a two-part questionnaire: demographic information and HPV awareness measurement questionnaire. The validity of HPV awareness measurement questionnaire was confirmed by experts and its reliability was also assessed with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.942. We analyzed the data via descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS version 21. Results: The findings of the present research showed that the participants’ mean awareness of HPV was 5.84 out of 23. A total of 48.5% of the respondents had information about HPV prior to this study, among which the awareness score was 10.12. There was a significant relationship between education level (p <0.001), monthly income, type of occupation (p <0.001), and field of study (p <0.001) with HPV awareness. Conclusion: Considering low awareness of girls about HPV, cultural, health, and governmental institutions, as well as non-profit organizations, need to make efforts to educate and inform the public about HPV and its transmission routes, which may result in the reduction of HPV-related diseases, including cervical cancer.
Roya Zare; Zahra Karimian; Nahid Zarifsanaiey
Abstract
Background: Breast Neoplasms is believed to be one of the most prevalent types of cancer in women. In the early stages, the disease could be diagnosed and controlled by breast self-examination (BSE). However, attitude barriers stop women to BSE on a number of occasions. We conducted the present study ...
Read More
Background: Breast Neoplasms is believed to be one of the most prevalent types of cancer in women. In the early stages, the disease could be diagnosed and controlled by breast self-examination (BSE). However, attitude barriers stop women to BSE on a number of occasions. We conducted the present study to investigate the attitude barriers of breast self-examination from the perspective of women who referred to health centers affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS). Methods: The current research was conducted as a cross sectional method from August to September 2019 on women aged 20- 60 years referring to health centers affiliated to SUMS. The participants were selected with simple Random sampling and 101 complete questionnaires were returned. The data collection tool was the researcher-made questionnaire comprising 5 components (12 items) in Likert scales. The obtained data were analyzed with SPSS22 software using One sample T-test, Independednt T-test, and Pearson correlation. Results: Except for the component of mental beliefs (P=0.92), all the other components were significantly lower than expected (p <0.001). The mean scores were for embarrassment (2.85±0.48), previous knowledge (2.93±0.69), negligence (3.03±0.49), and fear of breast mass (3.05±0.43). Attitudinal barriers decreased with the increase in education (P=0.01). Moreover, regarding the evaluation of the correlation between the components, the highest correlation was between previous knowledge effect and negligence (r=0.66), embarrassment (r=0.52), fear of breath mass (0.50). Additionally, the correlation between negligence and fear of breast madd was found to be 0.52. Conclusion: Since certain factors, such as incorrect previous knowledge, examination-associated embarrassment, fear, and forgetfulness are barriers to BSE, designing educational programs at different ages and educational levels seems to be essential, for adolescents in particular. To eliminate previous misconceptions and attitudes, creating good culture through public media and social networks could be effective.
Najmeh Maharlouei
Abstract
Transmission of viral infections from mother to fetus is an important issue as it can affect both the maternal and neonatal pregnancy outcomes. The world is currently struggling with COVID-19 which has affected all countries regardless of their economic status. There exist similarities between the genetics ...
Read More
Transmission of viral infections from mother to fetus is an important issue as it can affect both the maternal and neonatal pregnancy outcomes. The world is currently struggling with COVID-19 which has affected all countries regardless of their economic status. There exist similarities between the genetics of COVID-19 and other members of Coronavirus family, including SARS and MERS (1); therefore, it has been supposed that similar to SARS and MERS (2), COVID-19 has no vertical transmission (3). However, two systematic review studies provided some evidence which pointed to the contrary (4, 5). In a meta-analysis conducted by Kotlyar and colleagues the risk of vertical transmission from the infected mother to her baby was reported to be about 3.2% (5). This report is very important to healthcare systems as certain protocols have to be considered in screening babies born of infected mothers. Furthermore, there are still many questionable issues surrounding the behavior of agile COVID-19.
Kolade Afolayan Afolabi; Adebukunola Olajumoke Afolabi
Abstract
Background: Women experience variations in postpartum amenorrhea, the length of which depends on the type of breastfeeding and women’s physiology. We conducted the present Study to assess the perception and pattern of resumption of menstruation, and identify the determinants of resumption of menstruation ...
Read More
Background: Women experience variations in postpartum amenorrhea, the length of which depends on the type of breastfeeding and women’s physiology. We conducted the present Study to assess the perception and pattern of resumption of menstruation, and identify the determinants of resumption of menstruation and proportion at risk of unplanned pregnancy among exclusive breastfeeding women. Methods: Study employed sequential explanatory mixed method research design and was conducted between September and November, 2019. We collected the quantitative data using a semi-structured questionnaire from 497 exclusive breastfeeding women selected through a two-stage sampling technique in Southwest Nigeria. In addition, Focus Group Discussion guide was utilized to conduct qualitative study. The quantitative data were analyzed with SPSS version 22 using appropriate statistic, and the level of significance was p Results: Our result revealed that 43.4% of women whose postpartum period begins in less than eight weeks were amenorrheic, 65.6% of women whose postpartum period occurs between the 8th and 16th week were also amenorrheic, 85.8% of women whose postpartum period begins between 17th and 24th week remained amenorrheic. 76% of the women studied relied on Lactational Amenorrhea for contraception. Age (P=0.001, OR=0.24, CI=0.10-0.50), parity (P=0.04, OR=0.55, CI=0.31-0.79), and postpartum length (P=0.002, OR=0.23, CI=0.18-0.75) remained significant determinants of the return of menstruation. Conclusion: A significant proportion of women studied perceived themselves to be at no risk of unplanned pregnancy which may ultimately influence timely postpartum contraceptive uptake. Advocacy should therefore focus on addressing effective contraception among this group of women
Elnaz Abbasian; Mohsen Faizi; Asghar Mohammadmoradi; Abbas Erfanian Omidvar; Reza KhosrowAbadi
Abstract
Background: women have been exposed to growing symptoms of depression by urban life as well as endangering their mental health. Researches show that the effect of landscape components can be virtually seen in films and images. However, the main point is to rank the effectiveness of components in providing ...
Read More
Background: women have been exposed to growing symptoms of depression by urban life as well as endangering their mental health. Researches show that the effect of landscape components can be virtually seen in films and images. However, the main point is to rank the effectiveness of components in providing an appropriate virtual environment for women`s health. Tehran has gardens where effective components on mental health are hidden. These gardens are suitable samples for evaluating landscape architecture components from users’ views, especially women in virtual environment. Methods: This research introduced the effective components on mental health based on universal research. By determining these components in the gardens of Tehran, we assessed their effectiveness in six selected qualified spots of public gardens in Tehran with multimedia questionnaires in virtual space from 300 women who went to garden in three completely similar areas from 8 A.M to 12 A.M. The method of this research was set in the category of Structured Analysis research with Generalized Least Squares tested via by a software AMOS version 24. Results: A significant positive association existed between the details of the gardens and their direct impact on the reduction of depression symptoms (CR>0.7, RMSEA: 0.025, P=0.008, p <0.05). Geometry and color by potential effectiveness and sound, material, water and vegetation were considered effective in women`s reactions to reduce depression symptoms. Conclusion: Iranian gardens have the effective components based on health patterns. Pattern of public gardens in Tehran are shown as an appropriate icon to have an effect on mental health of women in virtual environment to reduce depression symptoms.
Abbas Saremi; Alireza Bahrami; Mohammad Parastesh; Mina Ranjbar
Abstract
Background: Identification of body mass and physical activity status in women may be helpful for improving their reproductive health. The purpose of the current research was to analyze and compare the body mass index (BMI) and physical activity level (PAL) among women with and without infertility. Methods: ...
Read More
Background: Identification of body mass and physical activity status in women may be helpful for improving their reproductive health. The purpose of the current research was to analyze and compare the body mass index (BMI) and physical activity level (PAL) among women with and without infertility. Methods: This descriptive-analytical research was conducted on 150 infertile women who referred to therapeutic centers of Shahrekord to treat infertility and 150 fertile women using filed study method. Physical activity questionnaire was then filled in by these women. The height and weight were measured using Seca stadiometer and digital scale based on standard methods, and then, BMI was calculated and the values were compared. The Mann-Whitney test was used to analyze data and the significance level was considered p <0.05. Results: The physical activity score of infertile women was estimated to be low in this study that indicates sporting inactivity or very low PAL in subjects. The overall prevalence of underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity in infertile subjects were 8.7%, 26.7%, 34.7%, and 30%, respectively. The frequency of overweight and obesity was reported to be significantly higher in these subjects. The physical activity score of fertile women was estimated to be medium, and the prevalence of underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity in fertile subjects were 29.8%, 40.4%, 17.2%, and 11.3%, respectively. Conclusion: Results from the study emphasize the importance of body composition and creation of interest among women to do exercise and gain normal weight and keep it off to achieve healthy fertility
