The effect of psychological first-aid virtual education on the communication skills of nurses in disasters: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Disasters have affected the physical and mental health of people around the world. Since nurses are frontlines in disasters, it seems necessary to prepare for this responsibility. This study investigates the effect of psychological first-aid virtual education on the communication skills of nurses in disasters such as COVID pandemic. METHODS: In a randomized controlled trial, 55 nurses were selected by purposive sampling method from two hospitals in Isfahan and Tehran, Iran in December-November 2022 and randomly replaced in the intervention group who participated in psychological first aid virtual training and control group. The data were collected through the personal information form and Communication Skills -Test-Revised (CSTR). RESULTS: Two groups were homogeneous in terms of communication skills (p = 0.177), the total score of communication skills was significant between the two groups after the intervention (p < 0.0001). Regarding communication skills, in the pre-intervention phase, the subscale of "the ability to receive and send messages" and "insight into the communication process" the difference before the intervention was not significant between the two groups (p > 0.05). However, it was significant between the two groups after the intervention (p < 0.05), and regarding "emotional control", "listening skills", and "communication along with assertiveness" the difference before and after the intervention was not significant between the two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Pre-disaster training and virtual education can increase nurses' communication skills in their ability to handle a disaster such as COVID pandemic. Virtual education of post-disaster psychological interventions is suggested. TRIAL REGISTRATION: IRCT20220923056023N1; date: 2023-01-31.

Effectiveness of Psychological First Aid E-learning on the Competence and Empathy of Nurses in Disasters: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the effect of psychological first-aid (PFA) E-learning on the competence and empathy of nurses in disasters. METHODS: In a randomized controlled trial, 50 nurses were randomly assigned to 2 intervention and control groups, and psychological first-aid training sessions were implemented for the intervention group. The data were collected using the personal information form, a researcher-made questionnaire to measure competence, and the Davis Empathy Questionnaire. RESULTS: Two groups were homogeneous in terms of competency (P = 0.691) and empathy (P = 0.363) in the preintervention phase. The intervention group had more competence in the next stage than before the intervention (P < 0.0001). In the post-intervention phase, the intervention group had more competence compared with the control group (P < 0.0001). The overall effect size of PFA E-learning training on the nurses' competency was 1.9. Regarding empathy, in the post-intervention phase, the subscale of personal distress (P = 0.014) was significantly lower in the intervention group and the perspective-taking subscale was higher than in the control group (P < 0.0001). However, there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of all scores of empathy and the subscale of empathic concern (P > 0.05). The overall effect size of PFA E-learning training on the nurses' empathy was 0.44. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested to provide training, including a PFA E-learning model, for nurses and other therapists in disaster situations.

The impact of logo-therapy on disease acceptance and self-awareness of patients undergoing hemodialysis; a pre-test-post-test research.

BACKGROUND: Acceptance is considered a key variable in chronic diseases such as chronic renal failure. To achieve adaptation and acceptance, people face obstacles, and identifying these obstacles primarily requires self-awareness. logo-therapy can help a person achieve this goal. To this end, this study aimed to investigate the effect of logo-therapy on disease acceptance and self-awareness of patients undergoing hemodialysis referred to a medical centers supervised by Kerman medical science university in 2021. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with a pre-test-post-test research design on 80 patients with chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis in Kerman. The patients who met the inclusion criteria were selected using convenience sampling and were then randomly assigned to intervention and control groups (40 patients in each group). The logo-therapy training program was performed for the participants in the intervention group during 4 sessions of 45-60 min, individually and three times a week. The instruments used for data collection were a demographic information questionnaire, the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS), and the Self-Awareness Outcomes Questionnaire (SAOQ). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22). RESULTS: The analysis didn't show a significant difference in the acceptance of illness scores in the intervention group before and after the intervention (P > 0.05). Besides, a statistically significant difference was observed between the intervention and control groups in terms of self-awareness, indicating that the intervention improved the dialysis patients' self-awareness (P < 0.05). Also, the patients' age, marriage length, and the number of children had statistically significant correlations with self-awareness and acceptance (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that meaning therapy intervention can positively affect disease acceptance and self-awareness of patients undergoing hemodialysis. Since logo-therapy has been effective in other patients and the patients in this study, health officials and managers are recommended to use this intervention method to promote disease acceptance and self-awareness in these patients.

Prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Following the Earthquake in Iran and Pakistan: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common mental disorder following traumatic events. The present study was conducted to understand the prevalence of PTSD after the earthquake in Iran and Pakistan. The review includes all articles published from inception to March 2019. The pooled prevalence for overall PTSD was 55.6% (95% CI: 49.9-61.3). It was 60.2% (95% CI: 54.1-66.3) and 49.2% (95% CI: 39.4-59) for Iranian and Pakistani survivors, respectively. Women experienced higher incidence of PTSD than men. The variation of PTSD based on the clinical interview was lower than the self-report approach. The interval time between the earthquakes and the assessment showed that the prevalence of PTSD decreased over time. The prevalence of PTSD in Iran and Pakistan was higher than the global average, and the rate of the disorder in Iran was higher than in Pakistan. Sex, method of assessment, and time lag between the occurrence of disaster and assessment of PTSD affect the prevalence.

"Students in public and private schools-which are at higher risk of drug use?": a survey from Iran.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence from Western countries suggests that private school students are more prone to drug use. Such an evidence is lacking in Muslim countries. The aim of this study was to examine whether the risk of drug use is higher in private schools than public schools. METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted on 650 tenth grade students of Kerman city, the center of largest province of Iran using cluster sampling. Well-validated questionnaires regarding current, lifetime substance use, and perceived use by classmates were utilized. Substances included in the questionnaire were waterpipe, cigarette, alcohol, marijuana, opium, methamphetamine, and Naas. Drug Use Tendency Scale was used to measure the attitudes of students towards drug use. RESULTS: The response rate was 93.7%. More than 82% of sample were public school students (n = 504). Current use of cigarette and marijuana was higher in private schools (12.2 and 3.0%, respectively) than public schools (4.4 and 0.5%, respectively) (P < 0.05). Perceived prevalence of cigarette smoking by classmates was higher among private school students. CONCLUSION: Despite the popular belief that private schools are better than public schools regarding the risk of substance use, students who attend private schools may be at a higher risk of turning to some drugs comparing to public schools in Iran.

Barriers and motivators to participation and retention in HIV/HCV cohort studies among people who inject drugs: a community consultation in Iran.

BACKGROUND: The lack of robust estimates of HIV/HCV incidence among people who inject drugs (PWID) in Iran calls for well-designed prospective cohort studies. Successful recruitment and follow-up of PWID in cohort studies may require formative assessment of barriers PWID are faced with in participation and retention in cohort studies and factors they think may facilitate their engagement in such studies. Using a focus group discussion (FGD) format, we conducted a consultation with PWID in southeast Iran to recognize those barriers and motivators. METHODS: Using targeted sampling and through snowball referrals, we recruited PWID (aged≥18, injected in last 6 months) from community-based drop-in centers (DICs), homeless shelters, and through outreach efforts to participate in four FGDs (one women-only). Socio-demographic characteristics, injection behaviors and self-reported HCV/HIV testing and diagnosis history were obtained. Then, a semi-structured FGD guide was applied to explore barriers and motivators to participation and retention in cohort studies among study participants. All FGD sessions were recorded and transcribed verbatim, removing any identifying information. The content of FGDs were analyzed by thematic analysis using an inductive approach. RESULTS: In total, 30 individuals (10 women) participated in the study. The median age of participants was 35 (IQR 31-40), with majority (73.3%) reporting injecting drug use within the last month. Only 40.0% reported ever being tested for HCV whereas a larger proportion (63.4%) reported ever being tested for HIV. While the majority were willing to participate in cohort studies, breach of confidentiality, fear of positive test results, perceived required commitment, and marginalization were reported as barriers to participation and retention in such studies. Monetary incentive, the thought of a better life, protection from police interventions and trust between health workers and PWID were addressed as motivators of engagement in cohort studies among PWID. CONCLUSIONS: Strategies to enhance data security and reduce stigma associated with injecting drug use along with involving peer workers in research, providing pre and post-test counselling and education and addressing the needs of more marginalized groups potentially through integrated healthcare programs and housing support are among few approaches that may help address barriers and strengthen the motivators for successful cohort studies among this population.

Gender-based differences in risk-taking behaviors among high school students in Southeast Iran.

OBJECTIVES: Risk-taking behaviors among adolescents can negatively affect different dimensions of their health. This study was conducted to identify the gender-based differences in risk-taking behaviors among high school students in a Muslim population. METHODS: Grade 10 students studying in high schools located in Kerman Province, Iran were enrolled through cluster sampling (n=2,676), and data were collected using a well-validated questionnaire about violence, sexual behaviors, and traffic-related conduct over the past 12 months. The tool also consisted questions regarding drug use over the past 30 days and over lifetime (i. e., current and ever use of drugs, respectively). RESULTS: The number of female participants was 1,407 (52.6%). The boys who had girlfriends (33.0%) were almost twice as many as the girls who had boyfriends (17.1%). Among the respondents, 27.8 and 12.0% of the boys and girls engaged in physical fighting, respectively. Overall, the prevalence of water pipe use in the last 30 days (18.7%) and over lifetime (43.5%) was higher than that of the consumption of other substances. The second and third most popular substances used in the past 30 days among boys and girls were alcohol and cigarettes and cigarettes and alcohol, respectively. On the whole, marijuana figured in the lowest lifetime use among the respondents. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of risk-taking behaviors in female students was lower than in males, and this difference was more evident than in Western countries. This discrepancy seems to be more obvious in cases where the religious prohibition of a behavior is greater such as extramarital intimacy.

The Effectiveness of the Harm Reduction Group Therapy Based on Bandura's Self-Efficacy Theory on Risky Behaviors of Drug-Dependent Sex Worker Women.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the harm reduction group therapy based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory on risky behaviors of sex workers in Kerman, Iran. METHODS: A quasi-experimental two-group design (a random selection with pre-test and post-test) was used. A risky behaviors questionnaire was used to collect. The sample was selected among sex workers referring to drop-in centers in Kerman. Subjects were allocated to two groups and were randomly classified into two experimental and control groups. The sample group consisted of 56 subjects. The experimental design was carried out during 12 sessions, and the post-test was performed one month and two weeks after the completion of the sessions. The results were analyzed statistically. FINDINGS: By reducing harm based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory, the risky behaviors of the experimental group, including injection behavior, sexual behavior, violence, and damage to the skin, were significantly reduced in the pre-test compared to the post-test (P < 0.010). CONCLUSION: The harm reduction group therapy based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory can reduce the risky behaviors of sex workers.

Development of Risk-Taking Tendency Tool for High School Students.

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is the age of increased sensation-seeking and risk-taking. To prevent such behaviors, the adolescent tendency to engage in high-risk behaviors must be measureable. This study aimed to develop a questionnaire about risk-taking tendencies among Iranian students. METHODS: This study was conducted using cluster sampling of the tenth-grade students in three cities in Kerman province, Iran. The students were assured that the questionnaires would remain anonymous and unlinked. Construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and comparison of known groups. Corrected item-scale correlation and Cronbach's alpha were calculated to evaluate reliability. FINDINGS: A total of 551 high school students participated in this study. Of these, 57 were excluded after checking the "non-existent drug" item (10.3%). Girls accounted for 49.2% of the sample. Of the 33 initial questions, 13 were removed due to factor loading of less than 0.5. Two factors were extracted using the scree plot ("drug abuse tendency" and "other risky behavior tendency"). The tendency toward high-risk behavior was significantly higher in male students than in female ones (P < 0.001). This indicates the known group validity of the questionnaire. The Cronbach's alpha of the above-mentioned factors were 0.93 and 0.83, respectively. CONCLUSION: The questionnaire measuring the tendency toward high-risk behavior among students showed acceptable validity and reliability.

Risk and protective factor for suicide attempt in Iran: a matched case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: In order to generate local evidence, a case-control study was designed to explore risk factors for suicide attempts (SA) in one of the larger cities in the southeast of Iran-Kerman. METHODS: From one of the main referral hospitals, 300 cases and 300 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited. On top of demographic variables, the following variables were compared in the two groups: personality traits, psychological condition, religiosity, coping skills, general health, and recent stressful events. RESULTS: Having adjusted for recent stressful events as the most important factor (OR = 1.66, P-value < 0.001), the main significant variables were: general health (1.04, P = 0.02), the support of friends (OR = 0.95, P-value = 0.04), being problem-focused mentality (OR = 0.88, P-value = 0.005), and intrinsic religiousness (OR = 0.86, P-value = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Although, recent stress increased the risk of SA considerably, other factors such as general health, friends' support, and being problem-focused may predispose subjects independently. Conversely, intrinsic religious beliefs and close social networks may have protective effects. Therefore, a multi-disciplinary approach is recommended to minimize the burden of SA in Iran.

The Value of Perfectionism in Predicting Coping Strategies in Drug-User Women.

BACKGROUND: Positive perfectionism helps the individual to experience fewer worries and less anxiety. The aim of the present study was to assess the value of coping strategies to predict perfectionism in drug-user women. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on 361 consecutive drug-user women who were randomly selected from a total of 6237 women referring to the Drug Abuse Centers of Kerman, Iran, in 2013. Data were gathered using the positive and negative perfectionism scale, and coping responses questionnaire. FINDINGS: There were significant correlations between positive and negative perfectionism with coping strategies problem-focused and emotional-focused (P < 0.001). Using multivariate regression modeling, 12% of total mental health variances could be estimated from metacognition beliefs. CONCLUSION: The positive and negative perfectionism can be rolled both as the predictors of coping strategies in drug-user women.

The perspective of psychosocial support a decade after Bam earthquake: achievements and challenges.

The 2003 Bam earthquake was one of the most catastrophic disasters to have struck Iran. This article summarizes the short-term and long-term psychological, social, and economic impacts of the Bam earthquake on survivors across a decade since its occurrence. Identification and definition of capability as well as recognizing the nature and extent of personal and social capabilities in a community are priceless in preventing disasters and reducing their consequent destruction.

The relationship of metacognitive beliefs and tendency to addiction in sistan and baluchistan university, zahedan, iran.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between metacognitive beliefs and the tendency to addiction in the students of the University of Sistan and Baluchistan, located in the South-East of Iran, during the academic year of 2009-2010. METHODS: This was a descriptive, correlational study, and the statistical samples were 200 male BSc students selected with cluster random sampling procedures from the three schools of Literature, Science, and Engineering. The measuring tools were the metacognition Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), and Addiction Potential Scale. Data analysis was done by the SPSS software using the Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regressions. FINDINGS: The result of data analysis showed that metacognitive beliefs and their subscales had a significant negative relationship with the tendency toward addiction (P < 0.01). The results show that fewer metacognitive characteristics are associated with a high tendency to addiction. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate that disturbed metacognitive beliefs is a good predictor of students tendency to addiction, therefore, teaching strategies metacognition is important in the prevention of young people's Tendency toward- addiction.