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  Background & Aims: Cognitive-affective factors and demographical characteristics have an important role in prediction of symptoms severity and quality of life in generalized anxiety disorder. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of cognitive-affective system and demographic characteristics in the severity of symptoms for generalized anxiety disorder.

  Materials & Methods: In a cross-sectional descriptive study, 128 outpatients with generalized anxiety disorder who attended three psychiatric outpatient's clinics of Tehran were selected by convenience sampling. Data were collected by The structured clinical interview, The Brief Core Schema Scales, The Cognitive-Behavioral Avoidance Scale, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Anxiety Sensitivity Index-revised, and demographical questionnaire and then analyzed by multiple regression analysis in stepwise method with PASW software.

  Results: Feeling worried, anxiety sensitivity and socio-economic status have important predictive role in severity of symptoms for generalized anxiety disorder (F_(3,124)=60.85, p<0.001). These three variables were predicted 0.58 variation in symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (R²=0.58) . Age, gender, literacy, intolerance of uncertainty, emotional schema and cognitive-behavioral avoidance didn’t have significant predictive role in prediction of severity of symptoms in generalized anxiety disorder (P>0.05).

  Conclusion: Regarding the important role of feeling worried, anxiety sensitivity, and socio-economic status in prediction of symptoms severity for generalized anxiety disorder, it is necessity to pay attention to tailored interventions in these symptoms for basic quality of life promotion in these patients.  

 

  SOURCE: URMIA MED J 2014: 25(66): 20 ISSN: 1027-3727

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Background & Aims: The characteristics of individuals with borderline personality disorder and the complex nature of this disorder suggest the need to find effective treatments. The present research has been conducted to introduce Dynamic Deconstructive Psychotherapy (DDP) and to evaluate whether it is an effective model for the treatment of borderline personality disorder in Iranian society.
Materials & Methods: This research was a randomized controlled trial utilizing a pre-test and post-test design with a control group of enhanced usual care. Among the patients with borderline personality disorder referred by psychologic and psychiatric clinics in Gonbad-e-Kavoos city, 30 consecutive participants with borderline personality disorder were selected and randomly assigned to the two treatment groups. Participants completed the Borderline Evaluation of Severity over Time (BEST) and the Patient Health Questionnaire Mood Scale (PHQ-9) at the time of entering the research (baseline), and also in the 3th month, the 6th month and the 9th month of the treatment. Repeated Measures ANOVA and SPSS19 software were used for statistical analysis.
Results: The results obtained from the analysis of variance indicated that the DDP was effective in reducing the core symptoms of borderline personality disorder and depression.
Conclusion: According to the findings of this research, DDP appears to be an efficient and cost-effective therapeutic treatment. These findings have theoretical and practical implications.

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Background & Aims: Fatigue is one of the most common problems in MS patients that has many negative effects on their lives. The current investigation scrutinized the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention on fatigue severity in patients with multiple sclerosis.  
Methods and Materials: The study performed in experimental design with control group and pretest, posttest and follow up. Statistical population was all the men and women suffering from multiple sclerosis with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis who referred to MS Society of Neyshabur in the spring of 2016. The sample consisted of 47 patients. The sampling method was convenience, and then was randomly divided into two experimental groups (n = 22) and the control (n = 25). Fatigue severity questionnaire was used as the instrument. Repeated measures analysis of variance with mixed-design was used to analyze the data. The sampling formula based on G-POWER included the size of the effect and the statistical power of the test.
Results: The results of the univariate test on the effect of time indicated that the effect of time on fatigue was significant (F=59.82, P<0.001). Considering the interactive effect of time and group, it was also found that the interactive effect of time and group on fatigue was significant (F = 35.58, P<0.001).
Conclusion: The obtained results revealed that mindfulness significantly improved fatigue in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. These findings were consistent in the follow-up.

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Background & Aims: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the changes in borderline personality structure at different time serials of treatment.
Materials & Methods: The present study is a quasi-experimental and single-subject (A/B) study. The sample of study was a 35-year-old man who was selected as a borderline personality disorder among the patients referred to Health Center through a preliminary clinical interview and performing Millon clinical multiaxial inventory -III (MCMI-III) by available sampling method. The interview with the Semi-Structured Interview of the Personality Organization (STIPO) was conducted in four stages including one pre-test and three post-tests after time series treatment. Single-Subject was studied for 11 months in a format of 51 sessions of transference focused psychotherapy.
Results: The findings showed that the mean scores of personality structure (identity, dimensions of object relations, aggression, personality rigidity, deference mechanisms, and morality) in the first post-test were not significantly different from the pre-test; but there was a significant clinical difference in the mean scores of personality structure at the second and third post-tests compared to the pre-test.
Conclusion: Based on the results, this treatment has significant effect in improving the personality dimensions of borderline patients, especially in advanced stages of treatment.