Demographic Characteristics and Personality Disorders in People With Gender Dysphoria in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran

Background: Gender identity is an important part of human identity. It is a personal conception of oneself as male or female. One of the major goals of treatment for individuals with Gender Dysphoria (GD) is to treat comorbid psychological and psychiatric disorders such as personality disorders. The present study aims to investigate demographic characteristics and personality disorders in people with GD seeking gender reassignment therapy in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran.Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, study population consists of all patients with GD referred to the forensic medicine centers in East Azerbaijan province during 2016-2020, of whom 61 (21 males and 40 females) were selected using a convenience sampling method. Their age, gender, educational level, and marital status were recorded and their personality profile was assessed by the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory–III.Results: The frequency (percentage) of Cluster A, B and C personality disorders in males were 0(0%), 9(50%) and 2(11.10%), while in females they were 1(5.56%), 4(22.40%), and 2(11.10%), respectively. The frequency (percentage) of antisocial, obsessive, borderline, avoidant, narcissistic, histrionic, and paranoid personality disorders in males were 4(22.2%), 2(11.10%), 3(16.67%), 0(0%), 0(0%), 2(11.10%), and 0(0%), while in females they were 4(22.20%), 1(5.56%), 3(16.67%), 1(5.56%), 1(5.56%), 2(11.10%), and 1(5.56%), respectively. The prevalence of different clusters (P=0.34) and types (P=0.18) of personality disorders was not significantly different between males and females. Conclusion: Personality disorders are comorbid with GD. They exist in one-third of patients with GD in East Azerbaijan Province. Personality disorders are significantly more prevalent in male patients with GD than in females

Validity and reliability of persian version of morbid curiosity scale in students

Background. The success of horror films, the attention to violent crimes and the prevalence of violence in the news show that morbid curiosity is a common psychological trait. However, research on morbid curiosity is largely absent in the psychological research literature. one of the reasons being the lack of a suitable Scale for Iranian society. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the Morbid Curiosity Scale. Methods. The research design was descriptive factor analysis and the statistical population of the study was all students of Zanjan University in the academic year 1400-1401, from which 500 people were selected by cluster sampling. For the study, Morbid Curiosity Scale was used. Results. The results showed that Cronbach's alpha for the subscales of the Minds of Dangerous People is 0.79, Body Violation is 0.81, Supernatural Danger is 0.79, and Interpersonal Violence is 0.80 and the total scale is 0.85. The results of Confirmatory Factor Analysis also confirmed the significant relationship between explicit variables and latent structures and showed that the four-factor structure has a good fit in the samples. Conclusion. The morbid curiosity scale among students has good reliability and validity and the use of this scale in future research is reliable. Practical Implications. The findings of this research can be used in psychotherapy, psychological research, media psychology, and advertising psychology

Effectiveness of Self-Compassion Training on Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Background and Objectives: Irritable Bowel Syndrome is one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases that involve a considerable part of society. In this regard, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of self-compassion training on symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted using a pre- and post-test design with control and experiment groups. The study population included high school female students in Khosrowshahr, East Azerbaijan, Iran. The sample consisted of 30 students who achieved the highest score in the screening test for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. They were selected by purposive sampling method and randomly assigned into experimental (n=15) and control groups (n=15). Data were collected using the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Questionnaire and analyzed through univariate analysis of covariance. Results: The results showed that self-compassion training significantly reduced the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (P<0.05). Conclusion: Applying self-compassion training improves the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome in individuals

The Structural Relationship of Moral Intelligence and Self-Efficacy with Students' Addiction

INTRODUCTION ... [1-4]. Before a person starts using drugs, the ground and preparation are created, which is considered as a vulnerability to addiction [5]. Previous studies have identified several factors for substance abuse, including: adverse childhood experiences, insecure attachment patterns [6], personality traits, impulsiveness [2], age and gender [7], quality of life [8], and failure tolerance [9]. ... [10]. One of the structures that is closely related to addiction is self-efficacy. A person with high self-efficacy evaluates obstacles as less imposing, while a person with a low level of self-efficacy may consider even minor obstacles as insurmountable [11]. ... [12, 13]. One of the strongest factors in the tendency to avoid substance use and less need to use in high-risk situations is self-efficacy [2, 10, 14-19]. Another variable whose role in preventing addiction was examined in this study was moral intelligence which means to distinguish between right and wrong and the moral affairs of the world [20]. ... [21]. Studies have shown that there is a significant negative relationship between forgiveness and addiction as well as alcohol consumption [22]. Ethical beliefs also help to internalize the negative aspects of drugs and avoid alcohol and drugs [23]. AIM(S) This study aimed to investigate the relation between the variables of moral intelligence and self-efficacy with students' addiction through structural equation modeling and several factors in interaction with each other were analyzed. RESEARCH TYPE The present study is descriptive-correlational. RESEARCH SOCIETY, PLACE &TIME All students of the Shahid Madani University of Azerbaijan were the statistical population of this study who were studying in the academic year of 2014-2015. 364 samples were selected by stratified random sampling method based on the Morgan table. USED DEVICES & MATERIALS For data collection, questionnaire to identify people at risk of addiction [24], general self-efficacy questionnaire [25, 26], and moral intelligence questionnaire [27, 28] were used. The internal consistency of the items for the whole questionnaire to identify people at risk of addiction through Cronbach's alpha was 0.80 and for the four areas of depression and feelings of helplessness, positive attitude towards drugs, anxiety, and fear of others, and high excitement, were obtained respectively 0.69, 0.78, 0.76 and 0.82. The total Cronbach's alpha of the general self-efficacy questionnaire was 0.71 and for the three areas of desire to initiate behavior, attempt to complete the task, and resistance to obstacles were 0.68, 0.77, and 0.86, respectively. The total Cronbach's alpha of moral intelligence questionnaire was 0.85 and for the four areas of honesty, responsibility, forgiveness, and compassion were 0.71, 0.76, 0.79, and 0.83, respectively. The total Cronbach's alpha of the general self-efficacy questionnaire was 0.71 and for the three areas of desire to initiate behavior, attempt to complete the task, and resistance to obstacles were 0.68, 0.77, and 0.86, respectively. Cronbach's total moral intelligence questionnaire was 0.85 and the four areas of honesty, responsibility, forgiveness, and compassion were respectively, 0.71, 0.76, 0.79, and 0.83. ETHICAL PERMISSION Participation in this study was completely optional and the researcher was committed to protecting the personal information of the participants. This study has been approved by Azerbaijan Shahid Madani University with the code 19361 / D / 214. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS To analyze the data, a path analysis test was used using SPSS 25 software and Lisrel 8.8. FINDING BY TEXT Descriptive findings showed that out of 364 participants in this study, 170 (46.70%) were girls and 194 (53.29%) were boys. The average age of participants was 23 to 33 years; 150 people (41.20%) were studying in the field of psychology, 120 people (32.96%) were studying in the field of educational sciences and 94 people (25.82%) were studying in other fields of humanities. Among the components of addiction, depression with an average of 59.23±17.92 had the highest value and also the component of the correctness of the moral intelligence variable with an average of 56.63±11.78, and the component of desire to initiate behavior from the variable of self-efficacy with an average of 24.66±5.61 ± had the highest value (Table 1). Also, there was a negative relation between the components of self-efficacy as well as moral intelligence and the components of interest and a positive relation between the components of self-efficacy and moral intelligence (Table 2). The results of the fit indices of the output model indicated the average fit of the model (Table 3). Path models briefly showed that self-efficacy (t=-6.44 and g=-0.44) and moral intelligence (t=-7.14 and g=-0.42) were inversely related to addiction (Figure 1). MAIN COMPARISION TO THE SIMILAR STUDIES In this study, as expected, self-efficacy was inversely and significantly related to addiction. Among the dimensions of self-efficacy, the desire to initiate behavior showed the highest correlation with the dimensions of addiction. This result is consistent with the results of Blonigen and Macia [2], Gullo et al. [4], Clyde et al. [14], Ehert, Ghaidarov, and Labrie [17], Rabbani Bavejdan et al. [29] and Chomsri [30]. According to the findings, high self-efficacy in stressful situations is more associated with adaptive coping strategies, such as problem-oriented coping. On the other hand, low self-efficacy is associated with low self-esteem, pessimistic thoughts about oneself, and the ability to function [31, 32]. The relationship between self-efficacy and addiction can also be explained based on Bandura's social learning theory. Bandura argues that those with low social coping skills or low self-efficacy tend to use substances as a coping mechanism [33]. Therefore, it can be said that people with low self-efficacy first use substances as a leeway to avoid problems and gradually become addicted to them. The results of the relation between moral intelligence and addiction also showed that moral intelligence can predict addiction. Among the dimensions of moral intelligence, honesty showed the highest correlation with addiction; therefore, honesty is one of the most important correlations of addiction. These results mean that people with high moral intelligence are less likely to be addicted to drugs. Due to the novelty of the concept of moral intelligence and the lack of research on this phenomenon, it was not possible to compare this finding with the results of other research. But the results of this finding are somewhat in line with the research of Sherer and Maddux [25], that the degree of self-forgiveness and the power of a person to say no can predict the consumption of alcohol, and also with the research of Thompson et al. [33] that forgiveness, predicts four components of psychological well-being (anger, anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction). Wongtongkam et al. [23] consider moral beliefs as protective factors in substance abuse, meaning that moral beliefs help internalize the negative aspects of drugs and avoid alcohol and drugs. LIMITATIONS This study naturally faced some limitations; the participants were students of the Shahid Madani State University of Azerbaijan and did not include other students, so the results of this study cannot be generalized to the entire student community of Azerbaijan province and other non-students. On the other hand, this study was conducted in the youth group and is limited in its generalizability to other age groups such as adolescents and middle-aged people. Another limitation of the research is related to data collection tools, which is a kind of self-report, and considering this issue, the validity of the subjects' answers can be questionable. SUGGESTION Mental health screening tests, especially to measure substance dependence and readiness for substance use tendency at the beginning of student entry to university and during the study are recommended. Planning for addiction prevention at university is also necessary, so it is recommended that planning be done to diagnose and treat students who are addicted or prone to addiction. Doing more research on substance use behavior and identifying protective factors can not only facilitate a better understanding of addiction but also provide a basis for predicting and preventing addiction. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study showed that there is a negative and inverse relationship between self-efficacy as well as moral intelligence components and addiction and there is a positive and direct relationship between self-efficacy and moral intelligence. CLINICAL & PRACTICAL TIPS IN POLICE MEDICINE The results of this study can be used to prevent students' addiction and reduce the desire of addicted students in police medical centers and other medical departments of the police headquarters. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS All the students of the Shahid Madani University of Azerbaijan and also the management and staff of this university are appreciated and thanked for their sincere cooperation. This article is extracted from the master's thesis entitled the preventive role of moral intelligence, self-efficacy, and resilience in students' addiction. CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors state that there is no conflict of interest in the present study. FUNDING SOURCES The present study had no financial support

The Relationship Between Internalizing Syndromes and Morbid Curiosity and Cyber Aggression in Adolescents: Cyber Aggression in Adolescents

Background: Adolescence is a period marked by biological, psychological and behavioral changes, which evoke intense emotional responses in teenagers. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between internalizing syndromes and morbid curiosity, and cyber aggression among adolescents. Methods: The study population included all male and female middle and high school students in District 3 of Tehran during the academic year 2021-2022. A statistical sample of 375 individuals was randomly selected through cluster sampling. The research utilized the cyber aggression scale for adolescents by Alvarez-Garcia cyber aggression scale for adolescents, the Achenbach and Edelbrock internalizing syndromes scale and the scrivener morbid curiosity scale. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software, version 26 and AMOS software, version 24. Results: The results showed a significant structural relationship between internalizing syndromes and cyber aggression, as well as between morbid curiosity and cyber aggression. However, internalizing syndromes and morbid curiosity accounted for only 4.8% of cyber aggression. Conclusion: These findings have implications for adolescent counseling, psychotherapy, education, training and correctional and rehabilitation centers

Effect of Computer-assisted Neurocognitive Rehabilitation on Inhibitory Control of the Students With Dyscalculia

Objectives: Cognitive functions are the most important factors that influence the performances of students with dyscalculia. This study investigates the effect of computer-assisted neurocognitive rehabilitation on the inhibitory control of students with dyscalculia.&nbsp; Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was applied in this research. Thirty elementary students with dyscalculia were selected through convenience sampling. Then, a control and an experimental group (each containing 15 individuals) were formed and matched based on age, intelligence, gender, and school grades. The experimental group received neurocognitive rehabilitation in 20 sessions, each one taking 45 minutes. To gather data, the Wechsler Test (WISC-R), Key Math Test, and Go &ndash; No Go Test were used.&nbsp; Results: The results of covariance analysis showed that cognitive rehabilitation interventions did not lead to a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in inhibitory, omission, commission and reaction time scores (P>0.05). Discussion: The study findings suggest examining the effectiveness of long-term rehab during different ages and training strategies with follow-ups

The Effectiveness of Neurocognitive Rehabilitation On the Math Performance and Working Memory of Students with Dyscalculia

Background and Objectives: Cognitive functions are one of the most important effective factors in students with dyscalculia. The present research aims to investigate the effectiveness of neurocognitive rehabilitation program on math performance and working memory of students with dyscalculia. Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental study with pretest-posttest design. Thirty elementary students with dyscalculia were selected using convenience sampling, and then the experimental and control groups (each 15 individuals), were matched in terms of age, gender, intelligence, and school grade. The subjects of the experimental group received twenty 45-minute sessions of neurocognitive rehabilitation. To collect the data, Wechsler Intelligence Scale (WISC-R) test, Iran Key Math Diagnostic test, Digit Span test, Counting Span task, and Corsi Blocks task, were used. Results: In this study, the results of covariance analysis showed that the scores of the experimental group in working memory (digit span, counting span) posttest and in Key-Math posttest, were higher than the control group. Conclusion: The results of this study is indicative of the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation in working memory (phonological loop, central executive) and math performance (operation and applications) in students with dyscalculia

Comparison of Alexithymia among Patients with Tonic-Clonic Epilepsy, Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy and Healthy Individuals

Background & objectives: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that disrupts normal brain activity due to abnormal electrical discharge of brain cells. Mood swings, depression and anxiety are the common complications in epilepsy. The aim of the present study was to compare alexithymia in patients with Tonic-clonic epilepsy, Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME), and healthy individuals. Methods: In this casual-comparative study, sampling was performed by convenience sampling method. The study population consisted of all epileptic patients and the study sample included 134 participants (N= 74 Patients and N= 60 healthy people) individuals aged 18-35 years. Among the patients, 14 were excluded due to lack of selection criteria and 60 samples (N= 29 with myoclonic and N= 31 with Tonic-clonic epilepsy) remained. Data regarding alexithymia was gathered by Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and analyzed by ANOVA, Scheff&eacute; post - hoc test and t-test were performed for independent groups. Results: Findings showed that the mean of Alexithymia in those with JME, &nbsp;tonic-clonic epilepsy and normal individuals were 64.44, 61.41, and 54.24, respectively. The difference between the two groups with myoclonic and tonic-clonic epilepsy was not statistically significant. However, there was a significant difference found between those with tonic-clonic epilepsy and normal individuals (T= 6.82; p<0.01). In addition, patients with &nbsp;JME &nbsp;and tonic-clonic epilepsy had more difficulty in identifying and describing emotions, and external thought direction compared to normal ones, while no such a difference was observed between the two groups with epilepsy. Conclusion: Epilepsy is accompanied by reduced processing of emotional information such as alexithymia. Individuals with tonic-clonic and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy are less qualified for recognizing and describing emotional information, and their intellectual orientation is mostly external. Also, since the location of discharge in both types is widespread and similar, no significant difference in alexithymia was observed between the patients with tonic-clonic and myoclonic epileps

Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Afghan Refugees and War-Zone Adolescents

"nObjective: Wars&apos; stress and violence can have tremendous effects on children&apos;s and adolescents&apos; health and general well being; it may result in patterns of bio-psychosocial problems. The goal of this study was to compare emotional and behavioral problems in Afghan refugees and war-zone adolescents. "n Method: One hundred and eighty high school students (90 students in the refugee group and 90 in the war-zone group) in Harat were included in this research. All participants completed the Youth Self-Report (YSR). War zone and refugee adolescents were compared based on their scores on different scales of behavioral and emotional problems. "n Results: War-zone adolescents scored significantly higher on Anxious/Depression, Withdrawn, Somatic Complaints, Attention Problems, and Internalizing Problems scales than refugee adolescents. In this study, no significant difference was found between the two groups on Social Problems, Thought Problems, Delinquent Behavior, Aggressive Behavior, and Externalizing scales. "nConclusion: Findings revealed that although asylum is not an ideal condition for children&apos;s and adolescents&apos; psychological development and prosperity, it can have a protective role in comparison with war zone&apos;s circumstances. Further investigation is needed, however, to elucidate the lack of significant differences in externalizing scales among war zone and refugee adolescent