Psychometric Characteristics of the Wish to Be Dead Scale (WDS) in Iranian Psychiatric Outpatients

The Wish to be Dead Scale (WDS) was administered to a convenience sample of 200 Iranian psychiatric outpatients. Using a Principal Component Analysis, two factors were identified, labeled Lack of purpose in life (F1), and Lack of interest in living (F2). The WDS had good reliability and significant positive correlations with scores on the Beck Suicide Ideation Scale and with other measures of mental ill-health. This study provides evidence of the usefulness of the WDS for assessing psychiatric patients. © 2016 The Author(s

Psychometric Characteristics of the Wish to Be Dead Scale (WDS) in Iranian Psychiatric Outpatients

The Wish to be Dead Scale (WDS) was administered to a convenience sample of 200 Iranian psychiatric outpatients. Using a Principal Component Analysis, two factors were identified, labeled Lack of purpose in life (F1), and Lack of interest in living (F2). The WDS had good reliability and significant positive correlations with scores on the Beck Suicide Ideation Scale and with other measures of mental ill-health. This study provides evidence of the usefulness of the WDS for assessing psychiatric patients. © 2016, The Author(s)

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based group therapy compared to the usual opioid dependence treatment

Objective: This study investigated the effectiveness of mindfulness-based group therapy (MBGT) compared to the usual opioid dependence treatment (TAU).Thirty outpatients meeting the DSM-IV-TR criteria for opioid dependence from Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS) were randomly assigned into experimental (Mindfulness-Based Group Therapy) and control groups (the Usual Treatment).The experimental group undertook eight weeks of intervention, but the control group received the usual treatment according to the INCAS program. Methods: The Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the Addiction Sevier Index (ASI) were administered at pre-treatment and post-treatment assessment periods. Thirteen patients from the experimental group and 15 from the control group completed post-test assessments. Results: The results of MANCOVA revealed an increase in mean scores in observing, describing, acting with awareness, non-judging, non-reacting, and decrease in mean scores of alcohol and opium in MBGT patient group. Conclusion: The effectiveness of MBGT, compared to the usual treatment, was discussed in this paper as a selective protocol in the health care setting for substance use disorders

The relation between evolutionary life strategy, temperament and character in individuals with opioid use disorder

Background: Although many risk factors have been proposed for the etiology of the addiction, little research has been conducted from the perspective of evolutionary psychology. The theory of life strategies (with respect to evolutionary causes) has led to a new understanding of addiction. While researchers have shown that Cloninger's bio-psychological model is one of the most important personality factors in the etiology of addiction, there is no research about the relationship between life strategy and the temperament-character component of addiction. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to examine the relationship between these two variables in individuals with opioid use disorder in comparison with the normal group. Patients and Methods: This correlational study included 96 participants with opioid use disorder selected by convenience sampling from the Iranian national center for addiction studies (INCAS) and 97 participants without any substance use disorder, who were matched to the opioid-use group. After administering the mini-form of Arizona life history battery (ALHB) and the temperament and character inventory (TCI), data were analyzed with Pearson's correlation coefficient and multivariate regression. Results: Results showed a relationship between fast-life strategy and novelty seeking in the group with opioid use disorder and a positive relationship between slow-life strategy and co-operation in the control group. The regression analysis indicated that novelty seeking was able to predict fast-life strategy in the opioid use group and co-operation could predict slow-life strategy in the control group. Conclusions: Life strategy could be a new variable in understanding and planning addiction prevention programs. © 2018, International Journal of High Risk Behaviors and Addiction

The relation between evolutionary life strategy, temperament and character in individuals with opioid use disorder

Background: Although many risk factors have been proposed for the etiology of the addiction, little research has been conducted from the perspective of evolutionary psychology. The theory of life strategies (with respect to evolutionary causes) has led to a new understanding of addiction. While researchers have shown that Cloninger's bio-psychological model is one of the most important personality factors in the etiology of addiction, there is no research about the relationship between life strategy and the temperament-character component of addiction. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to examine the relationship between these two variables in individuals with opioid use disorder in comparison with the normal group. Patients and Methods: This correlational study included 96 participants with opioid use disorder selected by convenience sampling from the Iranian national center for addiction studies (INCAS) and 97 participants without any substance use disorder, who were matched to the opioid-use group. After administering the mini-form of Arizona life history battery (ALHB) and the temperament and character inventory (TCI), data were analyzed with Pearson's correlation coefficient and multivariate regression. Results: Results showed a relationship between fast-life strategy and novelty seeking in the group with opioid use disorder and a positive relationship between slow-life strategy and co-operation in the control group. The regression analysis indicated that novelty seeking was able to predict fast-life strategy in the opioid use group and co-operation could predict slow-life strategy in the control group. Conclusions: Life strategy could be a new variable in understanding and planning addiction prevention programs. © 2018, International Journal of High Risk Behaviors and Addiction

Metacognitive Therapy (MCT), fluvoxamine, and combined treatment in improving obsessive-compulsive, depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Objective: Although treatments with demonstrated efficacy exist for Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); researches on the effectiveness of combined treatment versus psychotherapy or drug treatment are controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of Metacognitive therapy (MCT), fluvoxamine and the combination of MCT with fluvoxamine treatment in treating patients with OCD. Methods: Twenty-one outpatients meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for OCD without any other axis I and II disorder were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions for 10 weeks of treatment: MCT, fluvoxamine, and combined treatment group. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-compulsive scale (Y-BOCS), Beck depression inventory-II-second edition (BDI-II), and Beck anxiety inventory (BAI) were administered at pretreatment and post-treatment. Group differences were examined using chi-square (for gender and marital status), one-way analysis of variance (ANOVAs) and one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVAs) statistical procedures on each of the outcome measures using the SPSS-16 statistical package. Results: Nineteen patients completed this study. All patients in MCT and combined treatment groups showed significant improvement at post-treatment. ANCOVA results showed that MCT and combined treatment lead to a more significant improvement in the severity of OCD symptoms (p0.05). Conclusion: It seems that adding drugs to treatment does not increase the efficacy of metacognitive therapy

Psychometric properties of the persian version of the love of life scale

A love of life is defined as an overall positive attitude toward life and a liking for life. The present study was designed to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of a Persian version of the Love of Life Scale using a convenience sample of 145 Iranian female volunteer college students (M age=23.0 years, SD=3.4). The mean score on the Love of Life Scale was 61.08 (SD=11.40). A principal component analysis with a Varimax rotation yielded two factors labeled (a) Positive Attitude Towards Life and Happy Consequences of Love of Life and (b) Meaningfulness of Life. Cronbach�s alpha was .94 and the one-week test�retest reliability was .85. Love of Life Scale scores had significant positive correlations with scores on the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Adult Hope Scale. The scale displayed negative correlations with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale and the Wish to be Dead Scale. It was concluded that the Persian form of the Love of Life Scale can be recommended for future research on positive psychology. © The Author(s) 2016

Effect of acceptance-based behavior therapy on severity of symptoms, worry and quality of life in women with generalized anxiety disorder

Objective: Acceptance-based behavior therapy (ABBT) is a new psychotherapy for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The current study intended to compare severity of symptoms, worry and quality of life of GAD female patients between ABBT and control. Methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial. The sample included 18 women with GAD referred to psychiatrists in Isfahan, Iran. Patients were assigned in 2 groups randomly (ABBT and control group without any psychotherapy). Both groups received medication. The intervention in ABBT group was conducted based on Roemer & Orsillo's manual for Acceptance-based Behavior Therapy for GAD. 12 therapeutic sessions administered in Shariati psychiatric clinic of Isfahan. The instruments included the GAD-7 Inventory, Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) and Short Form Health Survey -12 revised Version (SF-12V2). The data were analyzed using the Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANCOVA). Results: Overall, clients receiving ABBT compared to control group reported a significantly decrease in severity of GAD symptoms, and improve in quality of life at post- treatment state. They reported decrease in severity of worry but it was not statistically significant compared to control group. Conclusion: ABBT was effective in alleviating symptoms of GAD

Are Iranian obese women candidate for bariatric surgery different cognitively, emotionally and behaviorally from their normal weight counterparts?

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to examine the cognitive, emotional and behavioral differences between obese and normal weight women. Methods: The participants consisted of 60 obese women (BMI � 35, Mean age 35.83) who were candidates for bariatric surgery and 60 normal weight women (BMI � 24.90, Mean age 33.38) who were selected through convenient sampling method. The two groups were matched with respect to age and education. Measures included the Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Binge Eating Scale. Independent sample t test and Mann�Whitney U tests were conducted to compare the two groups� scores on early maladaptive schemas, DER and binge eating. Results: Results indicated that obese women candidate for bariatric surgery scored significantly higher on emotional deprivation, mistrust, failure, dependency, enmeshment, self-sacrifice, especially abandonment, social isolation, vulnerability, self-control and subjugation schemas, but not on shame, entitlement, emotional inhibition and unrelenting standards. Obese women also displayed higher scores on three subscales of DERS, i.e., goal, impulse and strategies. BE scores were significantly higher in obese women than normal weight ones. Conclusion: The findings showed that obese women candidates for bariatric surgery suffered from more cognitive, emotional and behavioral vulnerability compared to women with normal weight. Addressing these vulnerabilities among obese women could improve outcomes of weight loss surgeries and cognitive behavioral interventions so that weight regain is minimized and better outcomes are achieved. © 2014, Springer International Publishing Switzerland