The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation in the Relationship Between Sexual Mindfulness and Relational Quality in a Sample of Iranian Women.

Mindfulness during sex has shown many positive relational and sexual outcomes. However, little is known about the ways in which sexual mindfulness works to improve an individual's experience. This study investigated the mediating role of emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between sexual mindfulness and relational quality in a sample of Iranian women. Using a multi-stage cluster sampling method, we examined data from 265 women aged 19 to 50 years (M = 31.76, SD = 8.47). Results showed a significant positive relationship between relational quality and sexual mindfulness (p < .001, ß = .13), sexual mindfulness and reappraisal strategy (p < .001, ß = .65), and relational quality and reappraisal strategy (p < .001, ß = .78). The reduction of the path coefficient in the full mediation model compared to the direct model indicating a partial mediation role of the reappraisal strategy was confirmed in relation to sexual mindfulness and relational quality. These findings may help identify one path, emotion regulation, through which sexual mindfulness works. This study provides psychologists and counselors evidence that both sexual mindfulness and emotion regulation are positive skills that likely improve the quality of their clients' relationships.

The relationships between parental attachment, peer attachment, automatic thoughts, and mindfulness skills among Iranian adolescents.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between parental attachment, peer attachments, and automatic thoughts with adolescent mindfulness skills in Iranian adolescents, drawing on internal working models and social cognitive theory. The data was collected from a sample of Iranian adolescents in Tehran using standardized measurement instruments previously developed by researchers. The collected data was analyzed using both simple and multiple regression analyses. The results revealed a positive and significant association between parental attachment and peer attachments with adolescent mindfulness skills. Conversely, automatic thoughts were found to have a negative impact on adolescent mindfulness skills. These findings suggest that strengthening attachments can contribute to the enhancement of mindfulness skills in adolescents, while addressing automatic thoughts is crucial in preventing the erosion of mindfulness skills. Consequently, experts can design interventions that focus on improving attachments and addressing automatic thoughts to promote adolescent mindfulness skills.

A qualitative exploration of depressed female Iranian adolescents' attachment narratives.

It is assumed that depressed and suicidal adolescents struggle with issues reflecting insecure attachment. However, less is known about which insecure attachment-related themes characterize depression and suicidality in adolescents. To explore this further, semi-structured in-depth interview were conducted with 18 Iranian female adolescents (Mage = 16.6 ± 0.70), with depression and/or suicidal ideation or suicide attempts, who self-reported being insecurely attached. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Three main themes were identified from the data: (1) quality of parenting, (2) attachment representation, and (3) attachment behavior. The theme parenting quality included the subthemes "emotionally absent", "emotionally supportive", "psychologically controlling", "overprotective", "punitive", "aggressive", and "passive". The theme attachment representation comprised: "not accepting", "not feeling loved", "not feeling understood", "lack of intimacy", "unreliable", "reliable", "mixed emotions", "hatred", and "dismiss and devaluation". The theme attachment behavior included "aggression", "relational avoidance", and "emotional role reversal". Findings point to the possible usefulness of attachment-based interventions to treat suicidal adolescents and their families in Iran. However, the results also showed culture-specific themes, pointing at the father-daughter relationship's unique importance, which deserves special attention in attachment-based interventions.

Consequences of teleworking using the internet among married working women: Educational careers investigation.

Nowadays, women constitute a considerable part of employees in the society that according to the multiple roles that they play (mother, wife, employee), more flexibility is needed in their career affairs. This study aimed to investigate the effects of teleworking using the Internet on married working women working in educational settings (advantages and disadvantages of teleworking). For this purpose, this study includes qualitative and quantitative parts with samples including 16 and 404 married women working in educational settings (i.e. school and university). In the qualitative part that interviews were conducted with 16 married women who were selected as experts in educational occupations, the findings showed that teleworking brings six major advantages for women. These six advantages are economic, psychological, health, family, organizational, and educational. Moreover, when the qualitative part was ended, the researchers prepared a questionnaire according to the findings and selected 404 married and working women in educational settings to rate advantages and disadvantages of teleworking during Covid-19 pandemic and according to qualitative results, teleworking has disadvantages such as role conflict, lack of face-to-face position, and reworking. The quantitative results showed that participants' feedback was positive in six advantages and two variables of family and psychological were the most important variables among teleworking advantages (p < .05). According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that teleworking has a considerable effect on family cohesion and psychological security of women. Therefore, according to the current status of the society (covid-19), facilities should be considered for married women.

How Resiliency and Hope Can Predict Stress of Covid-19 by Mediating Role of Spiritual Well-being Based on Machine Learning.

Nowadays, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are playing a tremendous role in all aspects of human life and they have the remarkable potential to solve many problems that classic sciences are unable to solve appropriately. Neuroscience and especially psychiatry is one of the most important fields that can use the potential of AI and ML. This study aims to develop an ML-based model to detect the relationship between resiliency and hope with the stress of COVID-19 by mediating the role of spiritual well-being. An online survey is conducted to assess the psychological responses of Iranian people during the Covid-19 outbreak in the period between March 15 and May 20, 2020, in Iran. The Iranian public was encouraged to take part in an online survey promoted by Internet ads, e-mails, forums, social networks, and short message service (SMS) programs. As a whole, 755 people participated in this study. Sociodemographic characteristics of the participants, The Resilience Scale, The Adult Hope Scale, Paloutzian & Ellison's Spiritual Wellbeing Scale, and Stress of Covid-19 Scale were used to gather data. The findings showed that spiritual well-being itself cannot predict stress of Covid-19 alone, and in fact, someone who has high spiritual well-being does not necessarily have a small amount of stress, and this variable, along with hope and resiliency, can be a good predictor of stress. Our extensive research indicated that traditional analytical and statistical methods are unable to correctly predict related Covid-19 outbreak factors, especially stress when benchmarked with our proposed ML-based model which can accurately capture the nonlinear relationships between the collected data variables.

Effects of Death Anxiety on Perceived Stress in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis and the Role of Self-Transcendence.

Stress is a commonly reported concern of individuals with chronical diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). This study sought to investigate the relationships between self-transcendence, death anxiety, and perceived stress among individuals with MS from Iran. A second aim of the study was to assess the buffering effect of self-transcendence in the relationship between death anxiety and perceived stress. Two hundred and fifteen participants with MS from four hospitals completed measures assessing self-transcendence, death anxiety, and perceived stress. Using structural equation modeling, death anxiety was found to be positively related to perceived stress. In addition, there was a negative relationship between self-transcendence and perceived stress. Results of the study suggest that self-transcendence is a buffer in the link between death anxiety and perceived stress for individuals with MS. The findings demonstrate the importance of self-transcendence in decreasing the effects of death anxiety on perceived stress and have clinical implications for health professionals.

The effects of perceived stress on hope in women with breast cancer and the role of psychological hardiness.

OBJECTIVE: Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer are psychologically stressful events, and hope and hardiness have been found to be important constructs for women with breast cancer. Therefore, this research sought to examine the relationships of perceived stress and hardiness with hope, and the buffering role of hardiness in the link between perceived stress and hope among Iranian women with breast cancer. METHODS: Two hundred and twenty Iranian women with breast cancer from three hospitals completed online measures evaluating perceived stress, hardiness, and hope. RESULTS: Using structural equation modelling, perceived stress was found to be negatively related to hope. Additionally, there was a positive relationship between hardiness and hope. The findings indicate that hardiness is a buffer in the link between perceived stress and hope for women with breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate the importance of hardiness in reducing the effects of perceived stress on hope and have clinical implications for health professionals.

Development and validation of School Resilience Questionnaire (SRQ) in Iranian adolescents.

BACKGROUND: School resilience, encompassing factors like teacher involvement and school supportiveness, is crucial for positive educational outcomes in adolescents. However, few validated scales measure school resilience. This study aimed to develop and validate the School Resilience Questionnaire (SRQ) for Iranian adolescents. METHODS: The study used a cross-sectional design. The SRQ was developed through expert reviews, interviews with students, and evaluation of existing resilience measures. After expert feedback, the final 55-item questionnaire was used. Participants were high school adolescents from Tehran, Iran (2021-2022). A multi-stage cluster random sampling approach was used. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) involved 200 students, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) included 310 students to validate the factor structure. Convergent validity was assessed by examining correlations with academic support, while divergent validity was evaluated using academic burnout measures. Construct validity and reliability were also assessed. RESULTS: EFA revealed six consistent factors across the sample. CFA confirmed significant and acceptable factor loadings for all SRQ items. Fit indices were RMSEA = 0.076; SRMR = 0.070, CFI = 0.94, NFI = 0.93, IFI = 0.94, RFI = 0.93. Convergent validity showed positive correlations between SRQ subscales and academic support. Divergent validity showed negative correlations between SRQ subscales and academic burnout (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study successfully developed and validated the 55-item SRQ for Iranian adolescents. The questionnaire demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties, making it a valuable tool for research and evaluation purposes in this context.

Mediating role of academic competence in the relationship between perceived teaching style and academic resilience among adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Academic resilience is crucial for adolescents as it enables them to overcome challenges and achieve educational success, yet the mechanisms underlying its development remain inadequately understood. This study investigated the mediating role of academic competence in the association between perceived teaching style and academic resilience among adolescents. METHODS: This descriptive correlational study was conducted between June 2022 and December 2022. The statistical population for this study encompassed all high school students in Tehran. To ensure the representativeness of the sample, a stratified random sampling technique was employed, involving a total of 400 high school students. Data were collected using online questionnaires, including the Academic Resilience Inventory (ARI), Teacher as Social Context (TASC), and Academic Competence Evaluation Scale (ACES). Descriptive statistics (e.g., mean, standard deviation, correlation matrix) and inferential statistics (e.g., path analysis) were used to analyze the data through SPSS-23 and LISREL version 8.7.2. RESULTS: The findings demonstrate significant relationships between teaching styles, academic competence, and academic resilience. Specifically, path analysis reveals that teaching styles, particularly those emphasizing support and involvement, have direct and meaningful effects on academic competence, subsequently influencing academic resilience. The proposed model exhibits a good fit, as evidenced by various fit indices (p < .05). CONCLUSION: This study underscores the pivotal role of supportive and engaging teaching styles in fostering academic resilience among adolescents. By significantly enhancing students' academic competence, these teaching approaches contribute to their overall well-being. These findings offer valuable insights for educators and policymakers to develop strategies that cultivate both academic skills and emotional strength, ultimately leading to improved educational outcomes.

Mediating role of alexithymia in relationship between cyberbullying and psychotic experiences in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Today, addressing issues related to the use of virtual space is of paramount importance due to its significant impact on mental well-being. This is especially crucial when the research community consists of teenagers who are cyber bullies or their victims who have higher vulnerability. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mediating role of alexithymia in the relationship between cyberbullying and psychotic experiences in adolescents. METHODS: The research method employed in this study was correlational, and the study population consisted of all male and female middle school students in Tehran during the 2022-2023 academic years. As for data collection, the Cyber-Bullying/Victimization Experiences questionnaire, Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences, and the Toronto Alexithymia scale were applied. A total of 602 samples were gathered by using multi-stage cluster sampling from Tehran in Iran. Four selection of the sample, the regions in Tehran were selected randomly according to the geographical directions of them and then some schools and classes were chosen randomly. Sample was included in the analysis after data entry into SPSS software and subsequent structural equation modeling using AMOS software. RESULTS: According to the findings, cyberbullying (ß = 0.11,p < 0.05) and cyber victimization(ß = 0.41, p < 0.001) were significant predictors of psychotic experiences. Alexithymia partially mediated the relationship between cyberbullying and psychotic experiences with the mediation effect of 0.28 and cyber victimization and psychotic experiences with the mediation effect of 0.18. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the importance of identifying cyber victims or cyberbullies in order to prevent alexithymia and psychotic experiences in future, in order to prevent more serious problems and becoming psychotic. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The goals and conditions of this research were investigated and approved by the Ethics Committee of Alzahra University in Tehran (code: ALZAHRA.REC.1402.055) on 13th September 2023.

The psychometrics of the Persian version of the perfectionistic self-presentation scale-junior form.

INTRODUCTION: The perfectionistic self-presentation scale (PSPS)-junior form is a self-report questionnaire used to measure perfectionistic self-presentation in children and adolescents. It consists of 18 items and 3 subscales, including perfectionistic self-promotion, non-display of imperfection, and nondisclosure of imperfection. METHODS: The present study aimed to determine the psychometrics of the Persian version of the PSPS. A descriptive study was conducted on 345 samples (269 girls) who responded to the questionnaire. RESULTS: The findings confirmed the internal consistency and composite reliability (CR) of this scale (CR = 0.744). Further, the Persian PSPS has acceptable face and content validities. Construct and convergent validities were also measured and confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. The correlational analysis of the research variables showed that the PSPS is positively correlated with the Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale (0.566) and the children's and adolescents' dysfunctional attitudes scale (0.420). CONCLUSION: Overall, the results indicated that the Persian version of the PSPS has acceptable psychometrics and can yield accurate results in Iranian samples.

Investigating the Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument (MAYSI-2).

This study was done to prepare a Persian version of the MAYSI-2 and investigate its psychometric properties among the adolescents of the Juvenile Correction and Rehabilitation Center in Mashhad. By available study sample 329 male adolescents were selected. The findings showed that the Cronbach's alpha values for subscales were from .74 to .91. Compound reliability was also obtained in different scales between .72 and .98 indicating the optimal reliability of the scale. The CVR and CVI indicating the appropriate content validity. The results of CFA showed that the factor loading of the items was more than .5. The scale had good structural validity. The GFI of .90, IFI of .91, and RMSEA of .072 were all within the acceptable limits. Convergent and divergent validity indicators showed that the subscales benefited from the convergent validity. Our results showed that the Persian version of the MAYSI-2 had desirable psychometric properties. Therefore, it can be used for assessing mental health problems of juvenile delinquent and upcoming research.

Psychometric properties of persian version of escapism scale among Iranian adolescents.

The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Escapism Scale among Iranian adolescents aged 14-18. Between January 2021 and August 2021, cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sampling method to select 566 participants (340 girls and 226 boys) to investigate the relationship between physical activity and mental health in adolescents. The participants completed several questionnaires, including the Escapism Scale, Erikson Psychosocial Stage Inventory (EPSI), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Hope Scale (AHS), Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), and General Self-efficacy (GSE). Construct validity, reliability using Cronbach's alpha, and concurrent validity were used to evaluate the Escapism Scale's validity and reliability. Results of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) indicated that a two-factor model provided a good fit for the data: sbX2 = 179.99 (p < 0.01); SRMR = 0.07; RMR = 0.56, CFI = 0.91; NFI = 0.89; IFI = 0.91; NFI = 0.89; GFI = 0.93; AGFI = 0.90, RMSEA = 0.076). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for escapism was 0.73. The study found a significant positive relationship between escapism and smartphone addiction (r = 0.19). Additionally, a significant negative relationship was observed between escapism and hope (r=-0.31), satisfaction with life (r=-0.34), and general self-efficacy (r=-0.33). Furthermore, a significant relationship was found between escapism and gender. Lastly, the study found a significant relationship between escapism and identity confusion (r = 0.164, P < 0.01) and identity coherence (P < 0.01, r = 29). In conclusion, the Escapism Scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing escapism and psychological evaluations in Iranian adolescents. These results may inform future research and suggest re-testing in clinical populations.

Validity of the Persian translation of the differentiation of self inventory (DSI) among Iranian adults.

Because of the importance of self-differentiation in couple therapy and premarital counseling, it is essential to have a suitable tool to measure it. The present study investigates the validity of the Persian translation of Differentiation of Self Inventory (DSI) among Iranian adults. The participants involved 273 people who chose availability (202 males and 82 females). The DSI scale had good enough validity and satisfactory reliability according to face, content, and construct validity test. According to the results of confirmatory factor analysis, 26 items removed because their factor loadings did not meet the criteria and the DSI scale remained as a 17 items questionnaire. Due to the disintegration of factors, exploratory factor (EFA) analysis is used to determine the factors of DSI. The results of EFA supported the four-factor questionnaire, including emotional reactivity, emotional cutoff, I position, and fusion with others.

Validation of Persian Version of Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) in Iranian Women with Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is now the most significant health issue in women, threatening diverse aspects of human health, including mental health and cognitive function. This research aimed to validate the Persian version of Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) in Iranian women with breast cancer. METHODS: We gathered data on 229 women with breast cancer in Tehran through convenience sampling. They completed a demographic questionnaire, the Persian version of MAAS, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and DASS-21. SPSS-22 analyzed the Pearson correlation between the Persian version of MAAS, general self-efficacy, and DASS-21. Also, LISREL 8.8 was used to analyze the internal structure of the MAAS. RESULTS: Findings from the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that the model with one factor fits well with the data (sbχ2=4.29 (P=0.36); SRMR=0.058; CFI=1.0; NFI=0.91; IFI=0.95; RFI=0.97; GFI=0.90; RMSEA=0.069). Significant negative correlations were found between MAAS and DASS-21 scores for anxiety (r=-0.51), depression (r=-0.48) and stress (r=-0.49), indicating an acceptable divergent validity. There was also a positive relationship between MAAS and general self-efficacy (r=0.37; P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The Persian version of MAAS seems to be a valid scale for evaluating the extent of mindfulness of Iranian women with breast cancer.

Online career counseling success: the role of hardiness and psychological capital.

Online career counseling is an important new horizon for vocational guidance. The present study investigates the role of online career counseling and of psychological capital and hardiness on career decision making. The research population included all Tehran students in 2019. After random selection, 30 students each were assigned into either the online counseling group or the control group. After online counseling, intervention students had higher scores than the control group on career decision-making. In the intervention group (but not the control group), students with higher hardiness and psychological capital had higher scores on career decision-making.

Succès de l'orientation professionnelle en ligne: Le rôle de la hardiesse et du capital psychologique L'orientation professionnelle en ligne représente un nouvel horizon important pour l'orientation professionnelle. La présente étude examine le rôle de l'orientation professionnelle en ligne, ainsi que du capital psychologique et la hardiesse dans le processus de décision de carrière. La population étudiée comprend tous les étudiants de Téhéran en 2019. Après une sélection aléatoire, 30 étudiant·e·s ont chacun été répartis soit dans le groupe de counseling en ligne, soit dans le groupe contrôle. Après avoir suivi le counseling en ligne, les étudiant·e·s du groupe d'intervention ont obtenus des résultats plus élevés que le groupe contrôle sur la prise de décision de carrière. Dans le groupe d'intervention (mais pas dans le groupe contrôle), les étudiant·e·s avec une plus grande hardiesse et capital psychologique ont obtenu des scores plus élevés sur la prise de décision de carrière.

Éxito de la orientación profesional on-line: El papel de la resistencia y el capital psicológico La orientación par el desarrollo de la carrera on-line supone un nuevo e importante horizonte para la orientación profesional El presente estudio investiga el papel de la orientación profesional on-line y del capital psicológico y la resistencia en la toma de decisiones de carrera. La población investigada incluyó a todos los estudiantes de Teherán en 2019. Después de realizar un muestreo aleatorio, 30 estudiantes fueron asignados al grupo de orientación on-line o al grupo de control. Después de la orientación on-line, los estudiantes con los que se había realizado la intervención obtuvieron puntuaciones más altas que el grupo de control en la toma de decisiones de carrera profesional. En el grupo de intervención (pero no en el grupo de control), los estudiantes con mayor resistencia y capital psicológico obtuvieron mejores puntuaciones en la toma de decisiones sobre carrera profesional.

Development and Initial Validation of the Children's Hardiness Scale.

Several measures have been developed in the past decades to assess the dimensions of hardiness in adult populations, whereas the same for children has remained relatively understudied. The present research has sought to develop and validate children's hardiness scale (CHS) to assess hardiness attitudes in the respondents with age categories ranging between 10 and 12. Relying on a mixed-method approach, the research has been conducted in two studies. In the first, using both deductive and inductive methods, items were generated. The Content and face validity of the items was explored. To determine factor structure afterward, the exploratory factor analysis was conducted. In the course of the second study, confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the scale's dimensionality and factor structure. The significant correlation between CHS, academic hardiness, and perceived stress, demonstrated the construct validity of the scale. Using the convenience sampling method, a total sample of 641 children participated in both studies. The results demonstrated that the final scale in line with the hardiness theory comprised three subscales: "commitment", "control", and "challenge". The scale revealed acceptable internal consistency, reliability, and construct validity. Overall, the results of the current research indicated that a 20-item CHS can be applied in evaluating children's hardiness attitudes. Further studies are required, however, to assess the applicability of the scale in different cultural populations.

Moral Disengagement: Mediator Between Moral Perfectionism and Machiavellian Behavior Among Undergraduates?

To better understand Machiavellian behavior among undergraduate students, the current study examines moral disengagement as a mediator in the relationship between Machiavellian behavior and two dimensions of moral perfectionism (concern over moral mistakes perfectionism and personal moral standards perfectionism). Participants were 210 undergraduate students (64% female) from three universities in Tehran, Iran, aged between 18 and 27 years old. Structural equation modeling revealed that Machiavellian behavior was negatively associated with personal moral standards perfectionism and positively associated with moral disengagement. The results of the structural model showed a non-significant relationship between concern over moral mistakes perfectionism and Machiavellian behavior. However, multi-model analysis provided evidence that moral disengagement partially mediated the relationship between personal moral standards perfectionism and Machiavellian behavior. The findings also showed that there was a relationship between concern over moral mistakes perfectionism and Machiavellian behavior through moral disengagement. The results suggest that while moral perfectionism is often accompanied with moral disengagement, Machiavellian behavior may be an explanation for individuals with these traits.

Emotional Intelligence Moderates Anhedonia and Suicidal Ideation in Depressed Patients.

The rising rate of suicidal ideation in adults is a growing concern in the world. In an effort to understand the prevalence of suicidal ideation, and what can be done to prevent it, this study was designed to examine the associations among anhedonia, emotional intelligence, and suicidal ideation. Emotional intelligence was evaluated as a moderator in the relationship between anhedonia and suicidal ideation among Iranian depressed adults. The participants were 217 depressed inpatients at five hospitals in Tehran, Iran, ranging age from 45 to 79 years. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that adult patients suffering from depression that exhibited higher levels of anhedonia and lower levels of emotional intelligence were predisposed to suicidal ideation. Multigroup analysis indicated emotional intelligence as a moderator in the relationship between anhedonia and suicidal ideation. The results emphasize the role of emotional intelligence in mitigating the devastating effects of anhedonia on suicidal ideation.