Original/Research Article


Effectiveness of Educational Intervention Based on Theory of Planned Behavior on Health Promoting Behaviors and Quality of Life among Infertile Women

Masoumeh Foroughameri, Mohammad Hatami, Amin Rafiepour, Mojgan Nicknam

International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 9 No. 3 (2022), 30 November 2022, Page 1-8
https://doi.org/10.22037/ijabs.v9i3.35631

Background and Aim:Infertility, as a cause of psychological stress, can lead to a crisis in patients. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the theory of planned behavior training on health-promoting behaviors and the quality of life of infertile women.

Materials and Methods:This was a semi-experimental study with pretest, post-test, and follow-up designs and a control group. The statistical population included 30 infertile women selected by convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent 6 sessions of 90 minutes of the theory of planned behavior training. Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile and WHOQOL-BREF quality of life were used to collect data. The data were analyzed by repeated-measures ANOVA using SPSS-22.

Results:The results showed that the theory of planned behavior training significantly improves health-promoting behaviors (P<0.001) and quality of life (P<0.0001) in infertile women.

Conclusion:It can be concluded that the theory of planned behavior training can improve health-promoting behaviors and quality of life in infertile women by changing their attitudes and cognition.

Principles of Therapeutic Discourse of Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach

Jalal Rahimian, Fereshteh Mohamadpour

International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 9 No. 3 (2022), 30 November 2022, Page 9-21
https://doi.org/10.22037/ijabs.v9i3.35673

Background and Aim:Opening conversations in psychotherapy discourse is very sensitive. Therefore, identifying the principles of how opening conversations in such discourses is extremely important. The present study uses the conversation analysis approach to find the principles of opening conversation in the therapeutic discourse of treatment sessions for patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) based on the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach.

Materials and Methods:The method used in this research is based on the logic of qualitative research. The corpus used in this study included 2520 minutes of conversation in psychotherapy sessions. Participants in this study were selected from both sexes. To analyze the data, methods of conversation analysis, word counting and finding keywords in the text have been used. Also, ATLAS ti. Computer software has been used to construct and present the verbal pattern.

Results:The results of data analysis show that opening conversation pattern in psychotherapy sessions consists of five stages of which only the “Identification-recognition sequence” is used in the initial treatment sessions and the rest is used in all sessions. Psychologists have opened conversations in all psychotherapy sessions.It takes about 5 to 10 minutes to open a conversation.

Conclusion:The abundance of data also shows that when using the general pattern of conversation initiation sequence, there was no verbal difference between psychotherapists and male and female clients, and all behaved according to the rules governing psychotherapy sessions. This confirms the high sensitivity of the type of approach to clients and how to begin to communicate in conversations related to therapeutic discourse.

Effectiveness of Compassionate Mind-Based Cognitive Therapy on Adolescents' Behavioral Activation-Inhibition Systems and Theory of Mind

Hamidreza Dehghan, Habibollah Naderi, Fereshteh Baezzat, Soheila Hashemi

International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 9 No. 3 (2022), 30 November 2022, Page 22-32
https://doi.org/10.22037/ijabs.v9i3.35912

Background and Aim:High-risk behaviors have devastating physical, psychological, and social consequences for the adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of compassionate mind-based cognitive therapy on behavioral inhibition-activation systems and the theory of mind of adolescents with high-risk behaviors.

Materials and Methods:The study design was quasi-experimental with control and intervention groups and a follow-up phase.The statistical population included all high school boys with high-risk behaviors in Tabriz. The sample consisted of 30 students who were purposefully selected, and randomly allocated into experimental and control groups. High-Risk Behaviors Questionnaire, Brain-Behavioral Systems Scale, and the Theory of Mind Questionnaire were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance test and employing SPSS-24 software.

Results:Compassion-focused cognitive therapy decreased activation, increased inhibition, and improved theory of mind among adolescents with high-risk behaviors (P<0.01).

Conclusion:Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that cognitive therapy based on compassionate mind through the component of mindfulness by reducing rumination, leads to a reduction of negative emotions and thus reduces high-risk behaviors in adolescents. Thus, it can be said that treatment based on Compassion can be used as an effective treatment to improve adolescent psychological problems with high-risk behaviors.

The Effectiveness of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy on Improving the Quality of Life in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Hamid Afshar Shandiz, Isaac Rahimian Boogar , Siavash Talepasand

International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 9 No. 3 (2022), 30 November 2022, Page 33-41
https://doi.org/10.22037/ijabs.v9i3.38290

Background and Aim: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease and its psychological symptoms and effects, including reduced quality of life, have a huge impact on various aspects of the patients’ life. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of solution-focused brief therapy on improving the quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Materials and Methods: In a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest design and a control group, 36 patients with multiple sclerosis that referred to the M.S Clinic in Ghaem Hospital and MS society of Khorasan-Razavi in Mashhad were selected using convenience sampling and then randomly assigned into treatment and control groups. The treatment group received the seven 2-h sessions of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT). Data were collected at pre-test and post-test with the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 Tool (MSQOL-54). The analysis of covariance was used for analyzing of the data by SPSS-21.

Results: The findings showed that the SFBT has a significant impact on the quality of life (F=11.92, P=0.002, Eta2=0.26) and its components (F=31, P=0.001, Eta2= 0.70) in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Conclusion: The SFBT is an effective therapeutic approach to improve the quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis. In fact, solution-focused therapy improves quality of life indicators in MS as a concise and evidence-based intervention. Although these results are promising, they require further and more comprehensive study of the effectiveness of such interventions in neuropsychological disorders.

Keywords: Brief psychotherapy, Quality of life, Autoimmune disease, Multiple Sclerosis

Comparison of the effectiveness of acceptance, commitment and mindfulness therapy on increasing psychological well-being and weight control in people with type 2 diabetes

Fatemeh Eisazadeh, Majid Saffarinia, Ahmad Alipour, Mahnaz Aliakari Dehkordi

International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 9 No. 3 (2022), 30 November 2022, Page 42-53
https://doi.org/10.22037/ijabs.v9i3.38567

Background and Aim: Type 2 diabetes is a chronic and complex disease that requires constant medical and psychological care. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effectiveness of acceptance, commitment and mindfulness therapy on increasing psychological well-being and weight control in people with type 2 diabetes.

Materials and Methods:  The research method was semi-experimental with pre-test-post-test design and two-month follow-up with the control group. The statistical population of this study included men with type 2 diabetes and overweight in Tehran in 2021.  60 patients were selected by purposive sampling method and randomly divided into three equal groups, including experimental group A (under acceptance and commitment therapy), experimental group B (under mindfulness therapy), and control group (without intervention). Data collection tools in this study were Reef Psychological Well-Being Questionnaire (1989), and calculation of BMI for weight control. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance.

Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference between the mean scores of psychological well-being and weight control of the acceptance and commitment therapy group and the control group (p <0.001). Also, there was a significant difference between the scores of psychological well-being and weight control of the mindfulness therapy group and the control group (p <0.05).

Conclusion: It can be concluded that both therapies, especially the therapy based on acceptance and commitment, are effective methods in reducing the psychological and physical problems of patients with type 2 diabetes.

The relationship between anxiety and psychological distress with adherence to treatment in people with overweight after surgery

Atusa Rafieipoo, Shirin Kooshki

International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 9 No. 3 (2022), 30 November 2022, Page 54-61
https://doi.org/10.22037/ijabs.v9i3.39236

Background and Aim:One of the main concerns of health psychology is the follow-up of patients regarding to treatment adherence. Anxiety related to weight and psychological distress are the factors that play important roles in people with overweight after surgery. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between anxiety and psychological distress with adherence to treatment in people with overweight after surgery.

Materials and Methods:The research method utilized in this study was descriptive correlational. The statistical population included all obese patients who had undergone sleeve gastrectomy surgery at the Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center.  147 of them were selected by available sampling method. Research instruments included Beck Anxiety Inventory, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale and General Adherence Scale. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling method.

Results:The results of this study demonstrated that anxiety and psychological distress are related to adherence to treatment among women with overweight after surgery(p≤0/05). Further, the regression analysis suggested that anxiety and psychological distress predict, respectively, 54% and 58% of the variance of changes in treatment adherence.

Conclusion:It can be stated that targeting psychological constructs such as anxiety and psychological distress during treatment process can be an effective way to enhance treatment adherence among people