Original/Research Article


Effectiveness of Behavioral Activation Therapy on Sexual Dysfunction and Relationship Satisfaction of Postmenopausal Women with Sexual Desire-Arousal Disorder

Somayeh Heidary Shadehi, Ilnaz Sajjadian , Gholam Reza Manshaee

International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 10 No. 4 (2023), 25 December 2023, Page 1-12
https://doi.org/10.22037/ijabs.v10i4.44477

Background and Aim:Menopause is a critical phase in women's lives that can lead to various long-term issues, including a decrease in sexual desire and arousal, which may negatively affect their quality of life. Sexual dysfunction is closely linked to women's cognitive beliefs. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of behavioral activation therapy on dysfunctional sexual beliefs and relationship satisfaction in menopausal women experiencing sexual.

Materials and Methods:This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test-post-test design and follow-up with a control group. The statistical population included all menopausal women with sexual dysfunction over the age of 50 who referred to specialized treatment centers for sexual disorders in Isfahan in 2023. Thirty menopausal women with sexual dysfunction were selected through purposive sampling and clinical interviews, with a sexual function score of less than 28 based on the Rosen Female Sexual Function Index. They were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=15) who received eight 90-minute sessions of behavioral activation therapy or the control group (n=15) who were placed on the waiting list without receiving any intervention. The Dysfunctional Sexual Belief Questionnaire (DSBQ), the Relationship Satisfaction Scale and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) were used as data collection tools. The data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS version 23.

Results:The results showed a significant difference between the mean scores of dysfunctional sexual beliefs and relationship satisfaction in the pre-test with post-test and follow-up in the intervention group (p<0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that dysfunctional sexual beliefs and relationship satisfaction improved in the post-test and follow-up compared to the pre-test, and the scores remained stable in the follow-up compared to the post-test (p<0.05).

Conclusion:Based on the findings, behavioral activation therapy can improve sexual dysfunctional beliefs and relationship satisfaction in postmenopausal women with sexual desire/arousal disorders by increasing the person's contact with environmental reinforcing connections and improving mood and thinking. to empower sexual challenges and pave the way for further research in the field of interventions related to menopausal women with sexual desire/arousal disorders. Therefore, it is suggested to use behavioral activation therapy in health and treatment centers and counseling centers to improve the sexual problems of postmenopausal women.

Relationship between physical concern and anxiety sensitivity in females with panic disorder: The moderating role of distress tolerance

Kimia Babayie, Amir Abdolhoseini, Zahra Saydi, SeyedMillad Mousavi

International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 10 No. 4 (2023), 25 December 2023, Page 13-20
https://doi.org/10.22037/ijabs.v10i4.44513

Background & Aim: Panic disorder showed higher prevalence in female than male. The aim of the present study was to investigate the moderating role of distress tolerance in the relationship between physical concern and anxiety sensitivity of females with panic disorder symptoms in female students.

Materials & Methods: The present study conducted through a descriptive cross-sectional method.  The statistical population of this research included all the female students of Islamic Azad University of Ilam branch in 2022(N=2009). Of all students 323 cases were selected using the available sampling method. The data collected through standard questionnaire i.e. severity of panic disorder (SMPD-A) (2013), distress tolerance of Simons and Gehr (2005), anxiety sensitivity of Floyd et al. (2005) and physical concern of Littleton et al. (2005). The statistical method used for data analysis was Baron and Kenny and bootstrap.

Results: The results confirmed model of relationship between physical concerns and anxiety sensitivity with panic disorder symptoms with the moderating role of distress tolerance. The correlation coefficient between physical concerns with panic disorder symptoms was 0.468, anxiety sensitivity with panic disorder symptoms was 0.425, and distress tolerance with panic disorder symptoms was -0.462.

Conclusion: It is believed that several factors cause vulnerability to panic disorder. Many stressful situations of daily life and the inability to adapt to frequent life stress can disrupt cognitive function in people, which can trigger many psychiatric disorders in susceptible people and aggravate the severity of symptoms in people

Background and Aim:A deep understanding of the effective factors in creating and aggravating the symptoms of anxiety, depression and obsession is very vital for the development of treatment and prevention strategies, and also repeated negative thoughts can play an important role in the process of forming and strengthening these symptoms, and on the one hand, empiricism and avoidance of unpleasant experiences may also act as an effective mediating variable in these processes So. the present study was done to predict severity of anxiety, depression and obsession based on negative repetitive thoughts by mediating role of experimental avoidance in clinical population who are all male and femalewith anxiety and obsession disorders in 2023 in Tehran.

Materials and Methods:This was a descriptive correlation research in which structural equations were done on 228 male and female participants with anxiety, depression and obsession disorders were selected by available sampling by Kline method. to collect data, Spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI), Beck depression inventory, repetitive thought questionnaire and obsession compulsive questionnaire of Maudsely (MOCL) were used.

Results:Findings suggested that by increasing negative repetitive thoughts and experimental avoidance, anxiety, depression and obsession will be increased or vice versa. by decreasing negative repetitive thoughts and experimental avoidance, anxiety, depression and obsession will be decreased. Also, given to GFI=0/909, CFI=0/919, AGFI=0/837 and RMSEA=0/076 it can be said that measured model has good fitness.

Conclusion:According to results, severity of anxiety, depression and obsession are predictable based on negative repetitive thoughts. Because anxiety is caused by trying to control or resist unwanted negative thoughts that occur normally, also because OCD is a chronic anxiety disorder characterized by excessive mental preoccupation with subjective details and perfectionism. is, to the extent that it leads to the loss of flexibility and social function, and depression, which is the constant and continuous tendency of a person to experience uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, it is possible to predict the severity of symptoms of anxiety, depression and obsession based on negative thoughts and repetition Shundeh is concerned with the avoidance and direct efforts he made to get rid of a negative thought or emotion So, using strategies for control negative repetitive thoughts for improving mental health and decreasing anxiety and depression and obsession are necessary.

Comparison of Sexual Self-Efficacy, Self-Differentiation and Communication Patterns in Iranian Women with Early and Typical Marriage

Fereshte Pourmohseni-Koluri, Maryam Adli, Eisa Jafari, Sahel Hadian, Masoome Gasemi

International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 10 No. 4 (2023), 25 December 2023, Page 31-38
https://doi.org/10.22037/ijabs.v10i4.44709

Background and Aim:Marriage is one of important social phenomena that has a very sensitive role on all aspects of human life and having physical, psychological and social preparation is necessary for it. The age which individual gets married is one of the important factors that can affect the quality of marriage and its psychological function. This study aimed to compare sexual self-efficacy, self-differentiation and communication patterns in early marriage and normal marriage.

Materials and Methods:The method of the present study was causal-comparative. The statistical population included all women referred to Ardabil Health Center who were married under the age of 18 and over the age of 18 or older and both groups of women lived in Ardabil in 2019. The sample of the present study consisted of 40 individuals who were selected by convenience sampling method. Also, 40 women with normal marriage conditions who were matched with their spouse's child group in terms of age, level of education were selected by available meansCouples Communication Patterns Questionnaire,Self-Differentiation Questionnaire and completed Sexual Self-Efficacy. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance.

Results:The results showed that sexual self-efficacy, self-differentiation, constructive communication pattern and avoidance-reciprocal communication pattern were significantly different between the two groups (p<0.05) and observed a difference in the expectation/withdrawal communication subscaleno difference was observed.

Conclusion:In explaining communication problems and use of incompatible communication methods in early marriage, it can be said that EM, increases likely hood of communication violence  Another explanation observed in early marriage is the lack of  right to choose the right one to marry and preparation for having sex which reduces couple`s marital intimacy, intensifies marital conflicts, and increases the possibility of violence in couples' relationships and ineffective communication patterns. Another finding in this survey indicated that self-differentiation in EM is less than later marriage women. In explaining this finding, it can be said that child marriage often happens during adolescence. It is the stage of transition to adulthood, gaining new experiences and facing new challenges.

The Effectiveness of EmotionFocused Therapy on Infertility Stigma, Marital Intimacy and Perceived Stress of Infertile Women Referring to Medical Centers in Tehran

Fatemeh Pouraram, Mahdieh Rahmanian, Ezzatollah Kordmirza Nikoozadeh

International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 10 No. 4 (2023), 25 December 2023, Page 39-49
https://doi.org/10.22037/ijabs.v10i4.44739

Background and Aim:The main aim of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy on infertility stigma, marital intimacy and perceived stress of infertile women visiting medical centers in Tehran.

Materials and Methods:This is an experimental study with a pre-test/post-test design with a control group. The research sample was 34 infertile women in Tehran (17 people in each group) who were selected via purposive sampling and assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. In order to collect data, the well-being questionnaire of infertility stigma, marital intimacy and perceived stress was used. One group received emotion-focused therapy and the control group did not receive any form of therapy.

Results:The results of covariance analysis showcased that emotion-focused therapy has significantly reduced the negative feeling of marital stigma, so that the participants’ sense of self-worth increased, their feeling of withdrawal decreased, and the negative feelings of family stigma and public stigma also decreased. Moreover, this treatment increased the marital intimacy of infertile women. In addition, the amount of negative perceived stress of these women was significantly reduced and theirpositive perceived stress was also improved (P<0/05).

Conclusion:It is concluded thatemotion-focused therapy is a useful and effective treatment for reducing negative stress, infertility stigma and increasing and improving marital intimacy of infertile womenand this treatment can be used to increase marital satisfaction and reduce divorce.