Journal of

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of child-centered play therapy on overt anxiety and behavioral problems in maladjusted children. The research method was a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all second-year male and female students of primary school in District 2 of Kerman in the second semester of the 1403-1404 academic year, totaling 8,500 people. Among them, 36 maladjusted children were selected through purposive sampling (based on the parent form of the Dekhanchi Children's Adaptation Questionnaire, 1377) and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (18 people in each group). Reynolds and Richmond's Children's Overt Anxiety Questionnaire (1978) and Quay and Patterson's Behavioral Problems Questionnaire (1987) were used to collect data. Child-centered play therapy intervention based on the Exline approach (1969) was implemented in 10 60-minute group sessions for the experimental group; while the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results showed that child-centered play therapy significantly reduced overt anxiety and behavioral problems in children in the experimental group compared to the control group (p<0.05). Overall, the findings support the efficacy of child-centered play therapy as an appropriate psychological intervention for improving anxiety symptoms and behavioral problems in maladjusted children.

Domestic violence during adolescence can be associated with various psychological consequences, including increased self-criticism and social anxiety. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) on self-criticism and social anxiety among adolescents with a history of domestic violence in Kerman, Iran, in 2025. This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group. The statistical population consisted of adolescents with a history of domestic violence in Kerman. Thirty participants were selected using purposive sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). Data were collected using the Self-Criticism Questionnaire and the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of Compassion-Focused Therapy, while the control group remained on a waitlist. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The results indicated that Compassion-Focused Therapy significantly reduced self-criticism and social anxiety among adolescents with a history of domestic violence compared with the control group (p < .05). These findings suggest that Compassion-Focused Therapy may serve as an effective intervention for reducing self-criticism and social anxiety among adolescents with a history of domestic violence.

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of self-focused compassion therapy on distress tolerance and alexithymia in women with skin picking and hair picking disorder in Tehran. This study was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The research population included female students of Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, who were selected based on the inclusion criteria and purposive sampling method. A total of 45 eligible subjects were identified and after random assignment using a random number table, 30 subjects were replaced in two experimental (15 subjects) and control (15 subjects) groups. The experimental group received self-focused compassion therapy intervention, and the control group did not receive any intervention. Data collection tools included a demographic information questionnaire, a distress tolerance questionnaire, and an alexithymia questionnaire. Data were collected and analyzed in three stages: pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up. The results showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of distress tolerance and alexithymia at the pre-test stage, which indicated the initial homogeneity of the groups, but at the post-test and follow-up stage, a significant difference was observed between the two groups, indicating the effectiveness of self-focused compassion therapy in improving distress tolerance and reducing alexithymia in women with hair-picking disorder. Accordingly, it can be concluded that this therapeutic approach can be effective in reducing the severity of symptoms and improving the emotional indicators of these individuals.

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on thought fusion and the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder in Tehran. The present study method was a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included all women with obsessive-compulsive disorder who visited clinics in Tehran between April and June 1404, from which a sample was selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The measurement tools included the Thought Fusion Questionnaire and the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. The experimental group underwent cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions, while the control group did not receive any intervention. The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance. The results showed that after the intervention, there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the variables of thought fusion and the severity of obsessive symptoms. Cognitive-behavioral therapy significantly reduced the rate of thought fusion and the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients in the experimental group compared to the control group. Based on the research findings, cognitive-behavioral therapy, by correcting cognitive distortions and reducing thought-action fusion, is an effective approach in improving the clinical symptoms of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and the use of this treatment protocol is recommended in rehabilitation centers and psychological clinics.

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on rumination and depressive symptoms in students with major depressive disorder. This study was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included all students with major depressive disorder referred to the Tehran Health Center in 1404, from which 30 students with major depressive disorder were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent 8 90-minute sessions of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy intervention, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Data collection tools included the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the Rumination Scale (RRS). Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance. The results of data analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the mean pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental group in rumination variables and depressive symptoms. In fact, participating in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy sessions led to a significant reduction in the repetition of unwanted thoughts and the alleviation of clinical symptoms of depression in students. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, by teaching the skills of being present in the moment and accepting without judgment, is an effective tool for managing repetitive thoughts and improving the mental state of students with major depression and can be used as a complementary intervention in university counseling centers.

This study aimed to predict children’s eating behavior based on parental reflective capacity, examining the mediating role of parental feeding styles. The study employed a descriptive-correlational design using path analysis. The population comprised all mothers of children aged 6–12 years attending primary schools in Tehran in 2024. Using convenience sampling, 573 mothers were recruited. Instruments included the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ; Wardle et al., 2001), the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ; Luyten et al., 2017), and the Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire (PFSQ; Wardle et al., 2002). Data were analyzed using path analysis, and the model demonstrated acceptable fit. Findings indicated that the indirect effect of pre-mentalizing on approach behavior via emotional feeding was significant; the indirect effects of pre-mentalizing on avoidant behavior via instrumental and controlling feeding were also significant. In contrast, the indirect effect of certainty about mental states on avoidant behavior via instrumental feeding was not significant, whereas the indirect effects via encouragement to eat and controlling feeding were significant. All reported significant indirect effects reached (p<0.05). Maternal mentalization, through different feeding styles, influences children’s approach and avoidance behaviors; an encouraging style increases approach, while instrumental and controlling styles reinforce avoidance.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is influenced not only by biological factors but also by psychological factors. Individuals with a family history of heart disease are particularly vulnerable to elevated cardiac anxiety and reduced psychological flexibility. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on cardiac anxiety and psychological flexibility in patients with coronary artery disease and a family history of heart disease. This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group. The statistical population consisted of patients with coronary artery disease and a family history of heart disease who were referred to Imam Hossein Hospital in 2025. Thirty eligible participants were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). The intervention group received eight sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, whereas the control group received no psychological intervention. Data were collected using the Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ) and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance. The findings indicated that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy significantly reduced cardiac anxiety and significantly improved psychological flexibility in the intervention group compared with the control group (P < .001). Furthermore, the treatment effects were maintained at the follow-up assessment. The findings suggest that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can be considered an effective complementary psychological intervention alongside routine medical care for reducing cardiac anxiety and enhancing psychological flexibility in patients with coronary artery disease and a family history of heart disease.

The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of mentalization, epistemic trust, mistrust, and credulity in the relationship between narcissistic traits (vulnerable and grandiose) and depression. A correlational design with path analysis was employed. A convenience sample of 304 adults completed Beck Depression Inventory-II (Beck et al., 1996), Short Form of the Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory (Sherman et al., 2015), The Mentalization Scale (Dimitrijević et al., 2018) and Epistemic Trust, Mistrust, and Credulity Questionnaire (Campbell et al., 2021). The results revealed that both dimensions of narcissism had a significant positive indirect effect on depression through reduced mentalizing capacity and increased epistemic mistrust. However, epistemic trust played a significant mediating role only in the path between vulnerable narcissism and depression. The indirect paths through epistemic credulity were also not significant. Also, the direct effect of grandiose narcissism on depression was negative, but the total effect was positive through indirect paths. These findings highlight the distinct mediating mechanisms of narcissism dimensions and underscore the importance of capacities for social information processing in understanding depressive symptoms. The results may inform the development of preventive, psychoeducational, or therapeutic programs focused on enhancing mentalization and restoring epistemic trust in individuals with narcissistic traits.

The increasing socio-cultural changes in recent years, coupled with the high prevalence of psychological health issues during the critical adolescent years and a research gap in this area, highlight the importance of investigating the factors that create a sense of well-being in adolescents. This study aimed to identify the conditions for sense of well-being and to present a conceptual framework of well-being for Iranian adolescents. A qualitative, constructivist approach and a grounded theory research design were used with the aim of conceptual ordering. The study population consisted of Iranian adolescents, mainly residing in the city of Qazvin, aged 16 to 19 years, who were selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected from 2024 to 2025 through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews and Coding was performed manually in two stages initial and focused Coding based on the Charmazian approach, and themes were sorted using Excel 2019. This process yielded twelve core concepts: engagement, optimism, happiness, self-relationship, relationships with others, relationship with God, relationship with existence, self and family health, personal growth, flourishing community, moral values, and material resourcesThe findings of this research provide insights for policymakers and educators to create a suitable environment for fostering well-being.