The Role of Sexual Behaviors in the Relapse Process in Iranian Methamphetamine Users: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: The awareness of sexual experiences could be an effective factor in preventing high-risk sexual behavior pertaining to relapse during the recovery period of substances. This research explored the role of sexual behaviors among Iranian methamphetamine (MA) users in relapse process. METHODS: The study was conducted with a qualitative approach using content analysis method. 28 participants were selected through purposeful and theoretical sampling. Data were collected based on face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interviews based on open-ended questions. Interviews continued until the data saturation had occurred. All interviews were examined in four stages of codes, sub-categories, categories and themes according to the content analysis of explanations and descriptions of sexual behaviors. FINDINGS: Two main themes were emerged from the analysis of interviews, including extreme pleasure seeking (including the main categories of sexual tunnel vision and sexual totalitarianism) and comprehended threat (including the main categories of internal conflict and external disorganization) as well as 10 subcategories. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that sexual behaviors played an important role in relapse process among Iranian MA users and needed to be considered and managed properly in the planning of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.

The efficacy of metacognitive therapy on patients suffering from pure obsession.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to examine the efficacy of metacognitive therapy in treatment of patients with pure obsession. METHOD: Six patients suffering from pure obsession were selected using purposeful sampling method and were included after meeting the inclusion criteria of the study. Patients were assessed using the structured clinical interview for DSM- IV Axis I disorder - patient edition (SCID- I/P). The patients' main obsessions were present including sexual, aggressive and blasphemous thoughts. In response to these obsessions, all patients used covert rituals and compulsive behaviors. In this study, multiple baseline, a major type of single- subject empirical design, was employed. During the baseline (3-7 weeks) and treatment (14 weekly sessions) and follow-up (3 months) patients filled out the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (Revised form) (OCI-R), Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Metacognitive Questionnaire (MCQ), Thought Fusion Inventory (TFI) and Beck Depression Inventory- II (BDI-II). To implement metacognitive therapy, Well's theraputicimstruction for OCD was used. RESULTS: The results indicated that Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) is effective in reducing obsessive - compulsive symptoms and in modifying metacognitive beliefs and thought-fusion beliefs. CONCLUSION: Metacognitive therapy is effective in treatment of pure obsession.

Study of body image in fertile and infertile men.

BACKGROUND: Body Image as a multidimensional entity is related to both physical and psychological aspects of the image one has of his or her own body. Lack/absence of an acceptable body image is one of the reasons of mental distress in infertile individuals. METHODS: In this study, an equal number (No=120) of fertile and infertile men attending Avicenna Infertility Clinic (AIC) were enrolled. The participants were compared in regard to body image variables based on the "Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ)" consisting of 10 subscales. Data was analyzed by SPSS, version 11.5, using Chi square and independent t-tests. RESULTS: Fertile men had a more positive body image as compared to infertile individuals. Significant statistical differences were observed when body image subscales were compared in both groups; in other words appearance evaluation, appearance orientation, Novy, health evaluation, health orientation, illness orientation, body satisfaction, overweight preoccupation and self-classified weight showed differences, while no significant difference was observed in regard to fitness orientation. CONCLUSION: It seems that the ability and efficiency of body image is affected by infertility leading to dissatisfaction of one's body image.

Motor control of speaking rate and oral diadochokinesis in hearing-impaired Farsi speakers.

Although speech motor control has been studied intensively in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired (HI) speakers in America and Europe, essentially no research has been performed using Persian-speaking participants. A total of 46 prelingual hearing-impaired 15-18-year-old males and 15 normally hearing control participants from Iran participated in the study. Three speaking performance measures, oral diadochokinesis (DDK), speaking rate (words per minute), and intelligibility ratings, were obtained for the two groups and compared to previously published research for English-speaking participants. The DDK results in general showed that the normal-hearing group produced the fastest syllable rates, and the profoundly HI group produced the slowest. Similar results were obtained for speaking rates. Speech intelligibility was highest in the normal-hearing group and lowest in the profoundly HI group. Correlation analysis between DDK and speaking rates showed that for HI group only, a slow speaking rate corresponded to slow DDK rates. It is shown that generally there are significant differences in measures of speech motor control in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired participants. These results concord with those from other language groups.

A Japanese treatment used in major depressive disorder in adolescence.

The purpose of the present report is to study the efficacy of a Dohsahou, a Japanese Psychorehabilitation method, in a treatment of major depression in three men (M age = 20 yr.), selected randomly for treatment. Initially, participants' baseline condition was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, and the Family Assessment of Depression Questionnaire. Each subject had 12 sessions of 45 min. training over 4 wk. Postassessment and follow-up assessment were done. Findings for pre- and posttreatment test data indicated depression was reduced, being mainly evident in cognitive, somatic, and affective symptoms related to lower depression.

The effect of "parental loss" under 18 on developing "MDD" in adult age.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study has been to search for the relations between Parental Loss in Childhood and Adolescence, and developing Major Depressive Disorder in Adulthood. METHOD: The Study had chosen the "Retrospective Case Control" method carried out over 64 patients admitted in University Hospitals of Tehran, who were suffering from MDD (matching DSM-IV-TR criteria), as the "Case Group" and 68 non-depressive admitted patients as the "Control Group." RESULTS: The study found that 19 out of 64 members of the "case group" (29.7%), and 7 out of 68 members of the "control group" (10.3%), has lost at least one parent under the age of 18. In other words, the prevalence of "parental loss" under 18 shows a meaningful increase in MDD among the "case group" in comparison with the "control group." CONCLUSION: The study concludes that there is a noticeable statistical relationship between the variants of "parental loss during childhood and adolescence" and the "MDD during adult age."