International Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences

Background and Aim: Controlling social-mental anxieties and coping with psychological problems are significant for students. The present study investigated the role of thought control and believability of anxious feelings and thoughts in emotional distress tolerance through the mediation of cognitive flexibility in a causal model.

Materials and Methods: The statistical population of this research consisted of all junior, sophomore, and senior students majoring in humanities in the 2021-2022 academic year. A total of 440 students selected through multistage cluster sampling filled out the Thought Control, Cognitive Flexibility, Emotional Distress Tolerance, and Believability of Anxious Feelings and Thoughts questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was performed using SPSS 22 and LIZREL 8.8 software for data analysis.

Results: The results showed that Positive thought control strategies had a positive and significant effect on cognitive flexibility and distress tolerance, whereas negative thought control strategies had a negative and significant effect on cognitive flexibility and distress tolerance. Similarly, the indirect effect of the believability of anxious feelings and thoughts on distress tolerance was negatively and significantly mediated by cognitive flexibility.

Conclusion: It seems that how intrusive thoughts and their associated factors can be managed in students is worth discussing, since positive thought control strategies are significant for controlling attention, emotions, flexibility, and distress tolerance.

Background and Aim: Emotional problems and the lack of control over one’s emotions are among the most significant factors that lead to substance use disorders. Craving is a major risk factor that can increase the risk of relapse in patients undergoing methadone treatment. Consequently, the present study was conducted to investigate the impact of cognitive-behavioral stress management therapy on difficulty in emotion regulation and drug craving among male patients undergoing methadone treatment.

Materials and Methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial design with a control group performed in two stages, pre-test and post-test. The study instruments were the DISEASE Emotion Regulation Scale and the Desires for Drug Questionnaire. The study sample included 30 male patients undergoing methadone treatment who were randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 14) and a control group (n = 12). The SPSS-26 and MANCOVA software were used to analyze the data.

Results: Multivariate analysis of covariance indicated that the cognitive-behavioral stress management intervention substantially helped the patients to overcome their difficulty in emotion regulation and craving η² for difficulty in emotion regulation and craving were 0.51 (P< 0.01) and 0.77 (P< 0.01), respectively.

Conclusion: Stress management therapy based on a cognitive-behavioral approach is an effective therapy for alleviating emotional difficulties and reducing craving in individuals receiving methadone treatment. Additionally, it is considered an effective method for overcoming emotional regulation difficulties and craving addiction.

Background and Aim: Individuals with unconventional sexual preferences often experience difficulties and inconsistencies across various personal and social domains. The present study aimed to explore the individual challenges and adjustment problems experienced by individuals with unconventional sexual preferences.

Materials and Methods: This qualitative study employed a narrative analysis approach and was conducted during the last six months of 2023 and the first six months of 2024. The study population consisted of adolescents and young adults with unconventional sexual preferences in Alborz Province, Iran. Based on the principle of theoretical saturation, 16 participants were purposively selected. Data were collected through individual, face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured and in-depth format. The interviews were then analyzed using narrative analysis.

Results: The findings revealed several individual challenges and adjustment problems among individuals with unconventional sexual preferences. Narrative analysis identified three main themes and twelve subthemes. The main themes included: 1-problems and challenges related to personal choices and preferences, 2-problems and challenges related to school and academic functioning, and 3-factors contributing to maladjustment.

Conclusion: The narratives of individuals with unconventional sexual preferences may provide valuable insights for therapists and clinical professionals. Understanding these narratives can help clinicians develop more effective therapeutic interventions for individuals experiencing adjustment difficulties.

Background and Aim: Heart failure is a prevalent chronic condition that is frequently associated with reduced quality of life. Psychological hardiness may play a protective role in improving quality of life among patients with heart failure, potentially through mechanisms such as self-efficacy. The present study aimed to examine the relationships among psychological hardiness, self-efficacy, and quality of life in patients with heart failure.

Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross sectional study used a correlational design and structural equation modeling. The sample consisted of 298 patients with heart failure who were recruited through convenience sampling from the cardiology department of Farabi Social Security Hospital in Mashhad, Iran. Data were collected using the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ; 21 items; Rector, 1984), the General Self Efficacy Scale (10 items; Schwarzer et al.), and the Ahvaz Hardiness Questionnaire (1998). Descriptive statistics and correlations were calculated using SPSS, and structural equation modeling was performed with LISREL. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results: The results of structural equation modeling indicated that self-efficacy significantly mediated the relationship between psychological hardiness and quality of life in patients with heart failure (β = 0.55, p < 0.05). In addition, psychological hardiness had a direct and significant positive association with quality of life (p < 0.05). Model fit indices suggested an acceptable model fit (RMSEA = 0.077; GFI = 0.92).

Conclusion: Psychological hardiness contributes to improved quality of life in patients with heart failure both directly and indirectly through self-efficacy. These findings underscore the potential value of interventions aimed at strengthening hardiness and self-efficacy to enhance patient well-being.

Background and Aim: This study aimed to develop a psychological hardiness training program and examine its effectiveness in reducing hostile attribution and self-silencing among women experiencing marital infidelity.

Materials and Methods: A sequential exploratory mixed-methods design was employed. In the qualitative phase, thematic analysis was conducted based on a systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews with 16 experts, leading to the development of an eight-session psychological hardiness training program. Content validity was confirmed by a panel of specialists. In the quantitative phase, a quasi-experimental design with pretest, posttest, and follow-up assessments and a control group was implemented. Thirty women were recruited through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group (n = 15 per group). The experimental group participated in eight training sessions. Data were collected using the Hostile Attribution Scale (HAS) and the Silencing the Self Scale (STSS). Repeated-measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests were conducted using SPSS version 23.

Results: The findings revealed significant differences between the experimental and control groups in hostile attribution and overall self-silencing at posttest and follow-up (p < .05). The intervention effects were maintained at follow-up.

Conclusion: The psychological hardiness training program appears to be an effective intervention for reducing hostile attribution and self-silencing among women experiencing marital infidelity.

Background and Aim: Marital satisfaction is a key factor in individual well-being and family stability. Married women often face heightened vulnerability to mental health challenges, highlighting the need to identify protective factors. Cognitive flexibility—the ability to adapt thoughts and behaviors to situational demands—has been linked to psychological adjustment and relationship quality. Authenticity in relationships, reflecting genuine self-expression and mutual understanding, may further enhance marital satisfaction. This study examined the mediating roles of authenticity in relationships and mental health in the association between cognitive flexibility and marital satisfaction among married women.

Materials and Methods: A descriptive-correlational, cross-sectional design was utilized. The study population consisted of married women aged 22–52 years residing in Tehran, Iran, between December 2023 and May 2024, with a minimum marriage duration of one year. Using multistage cluster sampling, 318 participants were recruited, and data from 310 valid questionnaires were analyzed. The instruments included the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI), the Authenticity Scale (AS), the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), and the Marital Satisfaction Scale (MSS). Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling via partial least squares (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4, alongside descriptive statistics in SPSS 27.

Results: Cognitive flexibility was positively associated with authenticity in relationships and better mental health. Both authenticity in relationships and mental health fully mediated the association between cognitive flexibility and marital satisfaction, whereas the direct effect of cognitive flexibility on marital satisfaction was not statistically significant.

Conclusion: Cognitive flexibility enhances marital satisfaction among married women through the complete mediation of mental health and authenticity in relationships. These findings highlight the importance of these pathways for designing couple-based interventions and warrant further longitudinal research.