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Background: Depression and anxiety are prevalent psychological symptoms among COVID‐19 survivors. This study compared the efficacy of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and Beck cognitive therapy (BCT) in addressing these issues. Methods: Forty‐five COVID‐19 survivors were randomly assigned to one of three groups: MBCT, BCT or a control. Pre‐ and postintervention assessments, using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), were conducted. Both interventions consisted of eight 90‐minute sessions. Results: An ANCOVA analysis revealed that BCT was more effective than MBCT in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms. Both interventions led to significant improvements, but no significant differences were observed between post‐test and follow‐up. Conclusion: BCT is a promising intervention for depression and anxiety in COVID‐19 survivors. Facilities providing cognitive therapy should be integrated into healthcare settings to support mental health recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Infertility is a prevalent condition in women in the reproductive age, which is often followed by psychological problems. Aim: This study examined the effectiveness of schema therapy vs. mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on worry and psychological well-being in infertile women. Method: This research was conducted in the form of a multi-group quasi-experimental design with pre-test-post-test and follow-up with a control group. Among the infertile women referred to infertility centers in Sari city in 2022, 45 women were selected using an available sampling method and randomly assigned to two intervention groups and one control group. The schema therapy group received 12 sessions and the mindfulness-based cognitive therapy group received interventions related to their group in 8 sessions once a week. The participants of three groups completed Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale (RPWBS; 1990) and Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ; Meyer et al., 1990) in the pre-test, post-test and 3-month follow-up phases. Analyses were performed using Student's t test, Chi-squared, and mixed ANOVA where appropriate. Results: There was a significant difference between the schema-based therapy and mindfulness groups with the control group. Both schema therapy and MBCT had significant effects on reducing worry and increasing psychological well-being in infertile women (P<0.001). Also, no significant difference was observed between the schema therapy and MBCT groups on worry and psychological well-being in the post-test and follow-up (P>0/05). Conclusion: This study showed similar effects of both the schema and mindfulness-based therapies on the worry and psycholgical well-being in infertile women in Iran. Therefore, experts, researchers and therapists in this field can use these interventions as effective treatment options to improve the psychological functions of infertile women along with their medical treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim Fibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic disease that causes widespread musculoskeletal pain. It primarily affects women and negatively impacts many aspects of a person’s psychological and social life. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of cognitive therapy based on mindfulness and compassion therapy on automatic negative thoughts, psychological symptoms, pain intensity, and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome. Methods & Materials This research is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with two experimental and one control group. The statistical study population consisted of all individuals with fibromyalgia syndrome referred to Mehregan Pain Clinic in Mirdamad (District 3), Seyed Khandan Clinic (District 4), and Taleghani Hospital Pain Clinic (District 1) in Tehran City, Iran. Of them, 30 patients were randomly selected and divided into three groups of experimental 1, experimental 2, and control; each group will include 10 people. The instruments used in this study included the World Health Organization quality of life questionnaire (WHOQOL BREF), pain intensity questionnaire (PIS), psychological symptoms questionnaire (Anxiety, Stress and Depression [DASS]), and automatic negative thoughts (QNS). Ethical Considerations This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University (Code: IR.IAU.ARAK.REC.1400.005). Results The analysis of covariance showed the effectiveness of both cognitive therapies based on mindfulness and compassion therapy on four variables of pain intensity, psychological symptoms, automatic negative thoughts, and quality of life (P<0.05). Comparing the two intervention methods showed that both therapies had almost the same effect on pain intensity, psychological symptoms, and automatic negative thoughts (P<0.05) but the effectiveness of mindfulness intervention on the quality of life was significantly higher than compassion intervention (P<0.05). Conclusion The results indicate that cognitive therapy based on mindfulness and compassion therapy are suitable for people with fibromyalgia under appropriate treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The medium and long-term problems of COVID-19 survivors after hospital discharge are currently unknown, but new evidence is emerging. This study was conducted with the aim of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on resilience and psychological distress of recovered patients from COVID-19 in Tehran City, Iran, in 2021. Methods: The study was a quasi-experimental type of pre-test-post-test design with a control group with a 2-month follow-up. The statistical population included all patients 25-55 years in Tehran City in 2021 with 4 to 8 weeks of discharge. The sample included 30 people who recovered from COVID-19 who had symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress (based on [depression, anxiety and stress scale] DASS-21 scores) and was selected by purposive sampling and based on the inclusion criteria, and then matching assigned to an experimental (MBCT) and a control group (n=15each). The experimental group received 8 sessions of 60 minutes of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (individual and online) but the control group received no intervention. The research tools were the DASS21 and Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC). Data were analyzed using a mixed analysis test and Ben Foroni post hoc test using SPSS version 23 software. Results: The results showed that MBCT in the post-test positively affected the resilience (F=30.31, P=0.001) and negatively affected the psychological distress (F=120.70, P=0.001) of those who Recovered from COVID-19. This therapeutic effect continued until the follow-up phase. According to the results, MBCT is effective in increasing resilience and reducing psychological distress and a significant difference is observed between the experimental and control groups (P=0.01). Conclusion: Based on the findings, MBCT is effective in increasing resilience and reducing psychological distress after illness and the use of this model can be useful in the psychological rehabilitation of those who have recovered from COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the effects of aromatherapy with lavender and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for sexuality (MBCT-S) on female sexual function., Design: Randomized controlled trial., Setting: Health centers in Roudan city, Iran., Participants: Sixty married women, ages 18 to 45 years, were recruited using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Participants were selected from health centers in 2022 via convenience sampling., Intervention and Measurements: Upon their completion of a demographic checklist and the FSFI as a pretest, participants were divided into three groups, including lavender aromatherapy (n = 20), MBCT-S (n = 20), and control (n = 20) through random selection with permutation blocks. All groups completed FSFI as a posttest. Data were analyzed by SPSS 26 using chi-square, Wilcoxon, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney statistical tests., Results: There was no statistically significant difference among the three groups before the intervention (p = .652), but there was a significant difference among them after the intervention (p = .001). There was a significantly positive difference between the intervention groups and the control group (p < .001). A significant relationship was observed among the three groups in sexual desire, pain, satisfaction, lubrication, and arousal. The mean scores of the posttest in sexual desire, pain, satisfaction, and lubrication were positively higher in the MBCT-S group than in the aromatherapy group, and both intervention groups showed the same effect for sexual arousal. Aromatherapy and counseling had no significant effect on improving sexual orgasm., Conclusion: MBCT-S can be used to improve many aspects of female sexual function, except for orgasm disorders; aromatherapy may improve sexual arousal., (Copyright © 2024 AWHONN. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients with chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) suffer more from psychiatric consequences than others, and their quality of life may be drastically affected, causing syndromes like depression and anxiety. Mindfulness-integrated cognitive behavioral therapy (Mi-CBT) seems to improve stress coping strategies in chronically ill patients, but its effectiveness has been little studied in MS. So, in this study, we aimed to assess its effectiveness on stress coping strategies in women suffering from MS in Mazandaran province, Iran. Methods: In this semi-experimental study, we selected 40 women with MS who had been referred to a neurologist in Mazandaran province, Iran during the year 2016 by convenient sampling and randomly assigned to the Mi-CBT and control group with a one-to-one ratio. Patients in the intervention group were under treatment for eight 120-minutes session, while the control group only stayed on the waiting list. After obtaining the ethics committee's approval (IR.IAU.CHALUS.REC.1397.018) and patient's informed consent, both groups underwent a pre-test assessment with a stress status questionnaire developed by Endler and Parker in 1988. The same assessment was done for both groups two times more, one after compilation of all sessions, and one 45 days later. Repeated measures analysis of variance was done using SPSS Version 24 software. Results: There was a difference between intervention and the control group for avoidanceoriented, and problem-oriented stress coping strategies (p<0.01), but there was not a significant difference for emotion-oriented strategy between groups (P=0.22). Conclusion: MiCBT is effective in improving stress coping strategies in women with MS, and overall mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the fear of childbirth (FOC) and failure to provide painless delivery in Iran, the prevalence rate of elective cesarean section (C-section) performed on request by pregnant women is on the rise. However, no systematic review assessing the results of studies in this respect has been thus far developed. Objective: To systematically review published psychological intervention research reflecting on FOC in Iran. Materials and Methods: In this systematic review, the databases of PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Wiley, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and Scientific Information Database were searched to retrieve the relevant studies. Manual searches were performed to find the relevant articles and finally 21 intervention studies were reviewed. Results: Based on the modified Jadad Scale, a methodological quality (risk of bias) assessment tool, 14 and 7 studies had acceptable or good and low quality, respectively. The included articles covered fear, fear of childbirth, pregnancy, and psychological intervention in Iran. Cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, psychological counseling, childbirth preparation classes (CPCs), mindfulness programs, and psychoeducation had been also practiced as the main types of psychological interventions for reducing FOC in pregnant women. Conclusion: There was no clear evidence to establish the most effective method for minimizing levels of FOC in pregnant women. Based on the assessment tool and since most of the studies had moderate or low quality, conducting standard and high-quality randomized controlled trials focusing on FOC in pregnant women is of most importance in Iranian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study wase to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on marital self-regulation, marital burnout and self-criticism of infertile women. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was conducted with a pretest-posttest design with control group. The statistical population of this study included all the infertile women of Mazandaran city in 2018-2019. In this study, 30 infertile women were considered as the sample size in experimental group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (of 15 infertile women) and control (15 infertile women). The experimental groups underwent mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (10 sessions 60 minutes), but the control group received no training. To collect data marital self-regulation scale of Wilson and et al, marital burnout scale of Pines and and self-criticism scale of Thompson and Zuroff. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-24 software in two sections: descriptive and inferential (multivariable analyze of covariance). Ethical Considerations: This study with research ethics code IR.IAU.TON.REC.1397.030 has been approved by research ethics committee at Islamic Azad University Tonekabon Branch. Results: The results showed that the scores of marital self-regulation of infertile women.after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in experimental group significantly increased in comparison with control group, and also marital burnout and self-criticism Scores were decreased (P<0.01). Conclusion: Therefore, it is suggested for counselors and therapists to use to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on improvement marital self-regulation, marital burnout and self-criticism of infertile women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the role of mindfulness, spiritual experiences, and coping strategies in predicting the quality of patients' life with Tuberculosis (TB). Methods: The present research is a correlational study and the statistical population comprised all TB patients referred to the Tuberculosis Center in Zabol City, Iran. A sample of 100 people was selected randomly, and they answered the five factorial mindfulness questionnaire, Bonab spiritual experiences scale, Lazarus and Folkman ways of coping questionnaire, and the World Health Organization quality of life scale. Results: The obtained data were analyzed by using correlation matrix and multiple regressions. The results showed a significant and positive relationship between mindawareness and quality of life, and this variable could predict 38% and the spiritual experiences 27% and problem-oriented coping strategies 5.2% of the life quality variance. Conclusion: There is a negative and significant relationship between emotional coping strategies and quality of life. Given that psychological factors can be predictors of quality of life, they should be taken into consideration in therapeutic planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The birth of a child with autism has a huge impact on the psychological wellbeing of parents, especially mothers. Aim: The aim of this research was to investigate effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on the mothers' psychological well-being of children with autism and reduction of symptoms these children. Method: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre and post design with control group. The Statistical population consisted of all mothers of children with autism who referred to autistic centers in Isfahan city. In order to do the research, 30 mothers of autistic children were selected by available sampling method. They were randomly divided into two groups: control and experimental (15 in the control group and 15 in the experimental group). The experimental group received 10 sessions of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. The instruments used in this research were the Psychological Well-being Scale of Ryff and Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS). Results: The results of covariance analysis (by used spss-22) indicated that Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy had a significant effect on the psychological well-being of mothers. Also, the results showed that this training had a significant effect on the symptoms of autistic children in the areas of stereotypical behaviors, interactions and social communication (p <0.01). Conclusion: According to the results, this method can be used to help parents' mental health and improving symptoms of autism children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, application and practice of mindfulness-based interventions to reduce adolescent psychological problems are increasing. Therefore, it is necessary to design and study tools that measure mindfulness and its effects. Objectives: One of the available tools to measure mindfulness in adolescents is the mindfulness attention awareness scale for adolescents (MAAS-A). The current study aimed at examining the factor structure and reliability of a Persian version of this scale and investigating the relationship between mindfulness and anxiety. Methods: The current descriptive, cross sectional and psychometric study was conducted on 354 students from Kashan city, Iran, selected via the cluster sampling method in 2017. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) by the principle component analysis method, the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the relationship between mindfulness and anxiety were conducted to examine the validity of the MAAS-A. To calculate the reliability of the MAAS-A, Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability (four-week interval) were employed. The statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 19.0 and AMOS-22. Results: The results of the EFA suggested two factors for this scale labeled as "acting with attention and awareness" and "attention to the present moment". The CFA confirmed the two-factor model of the 14-item scale (the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) 90% confidence interval (CI) = 0.001 - 0.06). The reliability of this scale was good (α = 0.81, retest reliability = 0.86) and the correlation between mindfulness and anxiety was negative and significant (r = -0.43, P < 0.01). Also, this relationship was significant in females (r = -0.44, P < 0.01) and males (r = -0.46, P < 0.01). Conclusions: According to the results of the current study, the MAAS-A was a reliable and valuable scale to measure the mindfulness of adolescents. The results of correlation between mindfulness and anxiety meant that by increasing mindfulness, the anxiety reduced in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Quality of life (QOL) is always considered as a final consequence of clinical trials, interventions, and health care. The results of studies indicate that addiction leads to lower QOL. However, studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on improving QOL. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) on QOL and craving in methadone-treated patients. Methods: This study was conducted in Qom, Iran, in 2017. A sample of 70 methadone-treated patients were randomly selected and assigned to two groups (intervention and control). Participants in both groups completed the 36-item Short Form (SF-36) QOL Questionnaire and Craving Beliefs Questionnaire (CBQ) at the beginning of the study (pre-test), 8 weeks after the study (post-test), and two months after the study (follow up). In this study, the experimental group received 8 training sessions on mindfulness prevention, while the control group did not receive general information about addiction and did not receive any psychological intervention. Finally, data of 63 patients were analyzed with the SPSS software, chi-square test, t-test, and repeated-measures ANOVA. Findings: The results of repeated-measures ANOVA showed that there was no significant difference between intervention and control groups in the pre-test, but MBRP in the intervention group significantly increased the scores of QOL and decreased the scores of craving, significantly (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings of present study indicate that MBRP training can increase the psychological and physical health in dependent methadone-treated patients and decrease craving. These findings suggest that mindfulness training can be used as an effective intervention for improving QOL and reducing craving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This program might be beneficial due to the difficulty of verbalizing a sexual assault experience. • 16 female sexual assault survivors aged 20–49 consented to data collection. • The one-way ANCOVA demonstrated reduced depression, anxiety and shame in sexual assault victims. • This program could be a helpful supplementary method at the beginning of treatments with high dropout rates. This article describes an 8-week intervention program for 16 female sexual assault victims in Iran aged 20–49. Sexual assault causes negative psychological consequences such as depression, anxiety and shame in victims. Although evidence-based treatments are effective in trauma treatment, they sometimes cannot cover the therapeutic needs of all patients and they have high dropout rates. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of combining mindfulness and art-making on depression, anxiety and shame in female Iranian sexual assault victims who were randomly assigned to control or experimental group in this study. Psychological questionnaire data were collected (Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R), Beck's Depression Inventory-2 (BDI-2), Beck's Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and The Personal Feelings Questionnaire-2 (PFQ-2)) to assess the Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity and the changes in depression, anxiety and shame symptoms during the program. After conducting a one-way analysis of covariance, the findings indicated statistically significant effects of combining mindfulness and art-making on reducing depression, anxiety and shame symptoms in post-test and follow-up stages compared to no treatment controls. This article suggests that this program could facilitate the process of treatment for female sexually assaulted victims as an independent therapy or as a supplementary treatment accompanied by evidence-based methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even 30 or more years after the end of a war, veterans can suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the present study, we explored the influence on symptoms of PTSD among Iranian veterans of the Iran-Iraq war of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) as add-on to a standard treatment with citalopram. Forty-eight male veterans with PTSD (mean age: 52.97 years) took part in this eight-week intervention study. Standard treatment for all patients consisted of citalopram (30-50 mg/day at therapeutic dosages). Patients were randomly assigned either to the treatment or to the control condition. Treatment involved MBCT delivered in group sessions once a week. Patients in the control condition met at the hospital with the same frequency and duration for socio-therapeutic events. At baseline and at study completion, patients completed questionnaires covering symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress. At study completion after eight weeks, scores for PTSD (re-experiencing events, avoidance, negative mood and cognition, hyperarousal), depression, anxiety, and stress were lower, but more so in the intervention than the control group. Data suggest that, as adjuvant to standard SSRI medication, MBCT is an effective intervention to significantly reduce symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress among veterans.