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Students who are abused in various ways are at a higher risk for psychological problems such as depression and suicidal ideation. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the mediating role of psychological problems and perceived social support in the relationship between cyber victimization and suicidal behavior. The participants in this cross-sectional study were 250 adolescents, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth-grade students (aged 13--18 years) in Bushehr, Iran. The instruments used to collect the data were the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), and Cyberbullying/Victimization Experiences Questionnaire. SPSS-25 and AMOS-24 software were used for data analysis. The indirect and negative effects of perceived social support showed that support (from family members and significant others) is associated with reduced suicidal behavior in students experiencing cyber victimization. Moreover, the indirect and positive effects of psychological problems showed that cyber victimization increases the risk of students experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, and may lead to increased suicidal behavior in them. The experience of cyberbullying victimization in students is associated with their suicidal behavior. These students need treatment through psycho-educational interventions or even psychotherapy in some cases.

This study sought to develop the College Mental Health Scale (CMHS) as a screening instrument among Iranian college students. In total, the nationally representative sample (N = 74,571) was selected to match the Iranian college student population throughout the country. In the first study, a conceptual framework was developed and a pool of items based on the most prevalent mental disorders in Iranian college students were devised. In the second study, psychometric properties of CMHS was examined (n = 600). The third study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase (n = 2,750), explanatory factor analysis was used for reaching a better factor structure and in the second phase (n = 2,750) the invariability of factor structure and correlation of CMHS with related measure was examined. The result revealed a 56-item measurement scale consisting of seven dimensions as the most prevalent mental disorders. In the fourth study (n = 68,471), male and female norms were developed. The CMHS has adequate reliability and validity and can be used for assessment of college students' mental health problems in Iran.

Objectives: International students face increased vulnerability for mental health challenges, but underutilize counseling compared to their domestic peers. We examined beliefs regarding the causes of mental illness, known as attributions, which may impact treatment-seeking and stigma. Participants: Surveys were collected from 680 international students at U.S. universities. Methods: We sent invitations to a computer-based survey disseminated via international student email lists. The survey explored mental health attributions for depression, alcohol use disorder, and schizophrenia. Results: Attributions differed significantly by disorder. Depression and alcohol use were attributed to social stress and perceived as controllable and influenced by personal weakness and lifestyle choices. Schizophrenia was often attributed to hereditary/biological causes. Differences also emerged based on the participants' acculturation, region of origin, and religiosity. Conclusions: Attributions influence perceptions of mental illness and may lead to stigma. Providers should incorporate discussions of attribution in student outreach and counseling to address potential impacts on care-seeking.

Background and objective: Considering the worldwide increase in mental health problems among adolescents and the hypothetical positive impact of mental health literacy (MHL) on mental health promotive behaviours, this study examined the effect of a MHL intervention in a sample of Iranian high school students. Design: Educational intervention with a pretest-posttest and control group design conducted among Iranian high school students in 2019. Setting: Four public schools in Shiraz, Iran. Methods: In this study, 220 students (110 in each intervention and control group) were selected using the cluster multi-stage sampling and participated in the study. Participants completed the adolescent MHL questionnaire at two stages (pretest and posttest). A training programme which comprised six 60- to 90-minutes sessions using collaborative learning techniques and printed materials was conducted with the experimental group. Data were subjected to covariance analysis. Results: No significant differences were found between study groups regarding demographic and MHL scores before the intervention. After completing the training programme, the intervention group showed a significant improvement in MHL and subscale scores (p < 0.01). Covariance analysis confirmed an improvement of MHL in the intervention group after controlling for pretest scores but not in the control group. Conclusion: Study findings demonstrated the efficacy of the training intervention to improve adolescents' MHL. Further research is recommended to examine the effects of the same intervention among boys and longer-term outcomes.

Gholam Hussein Sa'edi is one of the greatest Iranian writers of short stories in the present era. Sa'edi's stories are based on the existence of fanciful and dreamlike settings in which he attempts to establish the endings of the stories to be the direct result of the characters' psychological reaction against their dreams. The linguistic and psychological analyses of the stories show that dreams have an essential part to play in his short stories, and that fanciful atmosphere, place, time setting, and psychotic characters create a context for the existence of dreams. In this study, dreams have been studied in his short stories on the basis of Freud's and Jung's ideas. In Sa'edi's collection of "The Mourners of Bayal," dreams are formed when psychotic characters react to archetypes, and the archetypes are specified through the analysis of the dreams when identifying the characters of the stories and their mental action. However, in his story of "Two Brothers" and "The Beggar" in the collection of "Anonymous Fears," dream is the centerpiece of fictional events, and the events of the story coincide with the dream of the characters.

Introduction: This systematic literature review aims to (a) identify how the parenting stress was used in the empirical studies as an independent, outcome, moderator and mediator variable, (b) identify the predictors of parenting stress in parents of children with ASD, (c) identify how parenting stress relates with mental health, and (d) make suggestions for future research. Methods: A systematic search for peer-reviewed articles on parenting stress resulted in 45 studies meeting specific inclusion criteria. Results: Child's problem behaviors and sensory problems are the strongest predictors for parenting stress that persisted over a two-year period. Single young mothers with maladaptive coping strategies who have an ASD child with problem behaviors and sensory difficulties are most at risk for high levels of parenting stress and poor mental health. Conclusion: Parenting stress negatively impacted the parental mental health-related quality of life. Directions for future research include assessing socio-cultural factors related to parenting stress across different cultures.

Objective: Findings about the association of left-handedness and ADHD are inconsistent. While abnormal brain laterality is reported in children with ADHD, it is unclear if hand preference is associated with ADHD, severity symptoms, age, gender, comorbid psychiatric problems, or parental characteristics. Method: Subjects were 520 boys and girls with a mean age of 9.04 (2.3) years. Only four children were with mixed-handedness. ADHD was diagnosed according to clinical assessment using accepted diagnostic criteria. In addition to the demographic characteristics and hand-use preference, inattention severity, hyperactivity severity, oppositional behavior symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and developmental coordination problems were assessed. Results: A total of 87.4% were right handed. A total of 12.6% were left handed. Left- or right-hand preference was not associated with age, gender, inattentiveness score, hyperactivity-impulsivity score, comorbid psychiatric problems, developmental coordination problems score, or parental characteristics. Conclusion: Left handedness is not associated with higher parent-reported inattentiveness or hyperactivity. Hand-use preference is not gender related in ADHD. (Contains 1 table.)

Australian, Iranian and Portuguese university students ("n"?=?967) completed the University Students Depression Inventory (USDI) in English, Persian and Portuguese languages, respectively. A series of MANOVA analyses were used to examine differences in depression symptoms as an effect of the country and demographic variables. Interactions were also examined. The results indicated that country, gender and year level had some impact on the depressive symptoms of the university students. Australian students were more depressed than the Iranian and Portuguese students, while Iranian students were more depressed than the Portuguese students. Sub-scales of USDI--Lethargy, Motivation and Cognitive/Emotional--were also used to compare the depressive symptoms of students. The Australian female students reported a significantly higher level of lethargy than their male counterparts. Similarly, the first-year male students from Iran were significantly more lethargic than the first-year Iranian female students. Iranian and Portuguese male students, compared to the female students of these countries, experienced a lower level of motivation. The Australian and Iranian students, compared to the Portuguese students, reported a significantly higher level of cognitive and affective symptoms. The scores on the Cognitive/Emotional sub-scale increased with the year level. Differences among students' depression are described and implications discussed. (Contains 5 figures.)

Background: Challenges related to rearing children with intellectual disability (ID) may cause mothers of these children to have mental health status problems. Method: A total of 124 mothers who had a child with ID and 124 mothers of typically developing children were selected using random sampling. Data were collected using General health questionnaire, NEO five-factor inventory, islamic religiosity scale and WOCQ questionnaires. Results: Mothers of children with ID had lower general health than mothers of typically developing children. Neuroticism predicted the general health of the two groups of mothers. Among religious tendencies, religiosity and religious disorganization predicted the general health of mothers of children with ID and of mothers of typically developing children, respectively. Coping strategies did not predict general health in any group of mothers. Conclusions: Compared to personality dimensions and coping strategies, religiosity seems to be a good predictor of general health of mothers with children with ID in Iran.

Objective: As children with ADHD who have more inattention problems are more frequently with fine motor problems, it is not clear whether postural balance problems are associated with different subtypes of ADHD. This study investigates the predictors of postural stability in children with ADHD considering the covariant factors of age, gender, and comorbidities. Method: A total of 103 children with ADHD are studied using Poor Postural Stability Questionnaire filled out by their parents. Results: Linear regression analysis indicates that only oppositional-defiant behavior score is the predictor of seeking-movement subscale score. ADHD type does not predict the score of avoiding-postural-instability subscale, whereas separation anxiety score did so. Conclusion: ADHD subtypes do not have distinct clinical profiles of the balance problems. Postural stability in children with ADHD depends on the comorbid psychiatric disorders rather than ADHD subtypes. (Contains 4 tables.)

Prior studies demonstrating quality of life impairment in phobia and anxiety disorders have relied upon epidemiological samples or clinical data. Using the same quality of life scale, the Short Form 36-item Health Survey (SF-36), in Iranian college students allowed us to study the impact of social phobia (SP) on quality of life among the college students. This report summarizes findings from a cross sectional study on Iranian students with social phobia studying at Shahed University. Quality of life was measured using the Short Form 36-item Health Survey (SF-36) which is a widely used and valid questionnaire to measure quality of life in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Three standard instruments were used to measure social phobia severity, namely Social Phobia Inventory, Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, and Brief version of the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale. The sample consisted of 202 college students, 72 with SP and 130 without SP. The main finding of this study was that students with social phobia reported significantly lower quality of life, particularly in general health (P = 0.02), vitality (P less than 0.0001), social functioning (P less than 0.0001), role functioning-emotional (P less than 0.0001), and Mental health (P = 0.001) dimensions. Standardized summed scores for mental health components of the SF-36 showed that 36.2% of all the s with SP were severely impaired while 16.0% of the students in control croup were severely impaired. Findings demonstrated that Iranian socially anxious college students reported extensive functional disability, and lower well-being compared to those without SP. These findings should encourage education officers to implement systematic efforts to prevent and treat social anxiety among students.

Empirically, mental health and mental illness are not opposite ends of a single measurement continuum. In view of this fact, Keyes ("J Health Soc Behav," 43:207-202, 2002) operationalizes mental health as a syndrome of symptoms of both positive feelings (emotional well-being) and positive functioning (psychological and social well-being) in life. In his comprehensive model, the presence of mental health is described as flourishing in life, and the absence of mental health is characterized as languishing in life. The aim of this study was to investigate the discriminatory power of Big Five personality traits in discriminating among the levels of mental health continuum using an Iranian university student sample. Findings revealed that respondents with different levels of mental health differed significantly on four of the five personality traits (extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreeableness). All in all, the results of this study converged with prior findings about the importance of Big Five personality traits in predicting well-being.

Mothers' health is one of the most important and fundamental issues which the officials of health and care and supreme education should address as an important and effective part in society's individuals lives. The necessity of having a healthy society is having healthy mothers and this health would not be verified unless mother enjoys mental health. This research aims to address the study of relationship between different dimensions of a mother's personality and depression in the child. Aim: The aim of this research is to study the relationship between child's depression and different dimensions of mother's personality. Research questions: What is the relationship of mother's introversion on child's depression? What is the relationship of mother's neuroticism on child's depression? What is the relationship of mother's psychoticism on child's depression? Statistical universe: Includes all 5 and 6 year old children in the east of Mazandran province which consists of 2,150 children. Sample size based on Krijsi and Morgan formula is 300 children, and sampling method is systematic cluster. Samples were selected from 150 kindergartens located in the east of Mazandaran province from the following cities: Behshar, Neka, Sari, Ghaemshahr, Babol, Babolsar. Tools for data collection in this research are Eyzenck Personality Inventory (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1964), used for the assessing mother's personality, and drawing test Home-Tree-Person, used for the children. Eyzenck Personality Inventory assessed neurotic, extroversion, psychotic aspects in mother's personality. Depression in children, was assessed by the drawing test Home-Tree-Person. Research method: A descriptive profile of the post event in descriptive statistics, variance analysis, and hierarchical regression. Results: In the study of relationship between mother's character (neurotic, extroversion, psychotic) and child depression, there is a meaningful relationship (p less than 0.000). (Contains 3 tables.)

Objective: To study the psychiatric comorbidity of a clinical sample of children with ADHD and the psychiatric disorders in their parents. Method: Structured psychiatric interviews assessing lifetime psychiatric disorders by "DSM-IV" criteria, using the Farsi version of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia. Results: The mean age of the children was 8.7, mothers, 40.1, and fathers, 34.6 years. Only 7.6% of the boys and 21.7% of the girls manifested ADHD without any other psychiatric comorbidity. The most common comorbid disorders were disruptive behavior disorders and anxiety disorders. The prevalence of lifetime ADHD in the parents was 45.8% and 17.7%, respectively. The rate for major depressive disorder in mothers and fathers was 48.1% and 43.0%, respectively. Discussion: The clinical sample of ADHD children typically had at least one other psychiatric disorder, usually oppositional defiant disorder in boys and anxiety disorders in girls. The most common psychiatric disorder in the parents was mood disorder. (Contains 2 tables.)

This study is part of broader research aimed to determine the lifetime prevalence and pattern of comorbidity on self-reported suicidal attempts in the general population of Iran. Overall, 25,180 subjects were interviewed, face-to-face, at home; the lifetime prevalence was 1.4% (0.9% males and 2% females). The majority of attempters were 26-55 years of age, married, more highly educated, female, retired, and lived in urban areas. Many of the attempters (45.3%) reported at least one psychiatric disorder during their lifetime; major depressive disorder (22%), panic disorder (6.3%), and obsessive compulsive disorder (6%) was the most common. Because less than half of suicidal attempters reported a psychiatric disorder, the existence of other pathways to suicide may be important foci for prevention. Many of the demographic correlates of suicidal behavior in Iran are very similar to those seen in Western cultures; however, the sociodemographic factors such as few working women and very low levels of divorce is quite different to that of Western populations.

Diet quality has been associated with mental health, and recently, there has been growing interest in the association between the sustainability of diets and human health. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to explore the relationship between a newly developed dietary index for health and sustainability and psychological disorders among Iranian women. Participants in this cross-sectional study included 479 women living in Tehran with no history of chronic disease. A validated 168-item FFQ was used to assess dietary intake. The World Index for Sustainability and Health was calculated, consisting of four sub-scores: less healthy, healthy, low environmental impact and high environmental impact. Participants' psychological status was assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21. Logistic regression models were used to examine the association between the World Index for Sustainability and Health and psychological disorders. Participant ages ranged from 20 to 50 years, with a mean age of 31·86 (sd 7·68) years. After adjusting for potential confounders (age, energy, BMI, marital status, education, family history of chronic disease, body satisfaction, socio-economic status, physical activity, smoking), women in the highest tertile of the healthy sub-score had significantly lower odds of experiencing depression (OR 0·40; 95 % CI 0·24, 0·67), anxiety (OR 0·45; 95 % CI 0·23, 0·87) and psychological distress (OR 0·46; 95 % CI 0·28, 0·77) compared with the reference group. Similarly, the less healthy sub-score was significantly associated with depression (OR 0·51; 95 % CI 0·32, 0·89), anxiety (OR 0·44; 95 % CI 0·25, 0·78) and psychological distress (OR 0·57; 95 % CI 0·36, 0·90). An inverse association was observed between the low environmental impact sub-score and depression (OR 0·32; 95 % CI 0·19, 0·54), anxiety (OR 0·38; 95 % CI 0·18, 0·76) and psychological distress (OR 0·30; 95 % CI 0·17, 0·51). However, no further significant associations were found with the high environmental impact sub-score, except with depression (OR 0·57; 95 % CI 0·33, 0·96). The healthy and low environmental impact sub-scores of the World Index for Sustainability and Health were found to be inversely associated with depression, anxiety and psychological distress. However, due to the cross-sectional study design, causality cannot be inferred. Further prospective studies are required to validate and expand upon these findings and explore potential mechanisms and alternative explanations, such as reverse causation. While this study suggests that choosing a diet that is both healthy for individuals and sustainable for the environment may be associated with a lower risk of mental health issues among women, more research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 had a destructive effect on human's life. People with COVID-19 experienced high levels of depression, anxiety, and low Quality of Life (QOL). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the cognitive-behavioral intervention package on reducing stress, depression, and anxiety, as well as improving the QOL of patients with COVID-19. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 60 patients with COVID-19 who entered the isolation ward were included and randomly divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental group entered the intervention sessions once a week for 45 minutes for eight consecutive weeks. The intervention consisted of 8 sessions of CBT which was implemented for the experimental group. Patients in the control group received routine care during this period. DASS21, the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), and WHO-QOL were used to measure patients' mental health and QOL. Data analysis was performed with ANCOVA using SPSS24 software. Results: There was no significant difference between groups in terms of DASS21, SCL-90 and QOL before intervention (p<0.05). After intervention, depression symptom and QOL were significantly improved in the experimental group compared to control group (p< 0.05). Accordingly, the findings stated the session of intervention was effective in improving the QOL (p<0.05) and mental illnesses (p<0.05) in patients with COVID-19. Conclusion: Our designed cognitive-behavioral intervention package can enhance the awareness and mental health of patients with COVID-19. This package as an auxiliary treatment can reduce anxiety/depression and improve QOL in patients with COVID-19. Therefore, our intervention package can serve as a useful solution for clinical settings to reduce mental health problems during crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Psychiatric wards are one of the most stressful medical centers. Apprenticeship in mental health can cause feelings of stress and anxiety among nursing students. Investigating nursing students' beliefs about mental illnesses is very important to improve nursing education. The present study aimed to identify nursing students' metaphors for their first clinical experiences of encountering patients with mental disorders. Methods: This descriptive qualitative study was conducted on 18 undergraduate nursing students studying in two nursing colleges at Guilan University of Medical Sciences, in the north of Iran, in 2022. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Critical Metaphor Analysis by the MAXQDA 2007 software. Results: The analysis of nursing students' metaphors led to the emergence of 36 metaphors and 5 categories. These categories were "experience of dealing with a mental patient is similar to fear mixed with excitement", " patient is similar to an errant human", " psychiatric hospital is similar to a prison", "nurse is similar to a prison guard", and "clinical instructor is similar to a supporter, sympathetic and knowledgeable friend". Conclusions: The results showed their negative attitude towards the psychiatric hospital and health care providers. It is suggested that the findings of this study be taken into consideration in the planning of clinical education of nursing students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many non-COVID-19 emergency department (ED) visits were indirectly affected. ED visits and mortality were assessed during different pandemic time periods compared with pre-pandemic. Methods: The study used data from 41 million Iran Health Insurance Organization members. The outcomes were non-COVID-19 ED visits and associated mortality in 956 hospitals. An analysis of ED visits was conducted both for all-cause and cause-specific conditions: cardiovascular diseases (CVD), mental and substance use disorders, unintentional injuries, and self-harm. In addition, total in-hospital ED mortality was analyzed. A negative binomial regression and a Poisson regression with a log link were used to estimate the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of visits and mortality relative risk (RR). Results: 1,789,831 ED visits and 12,377 deaths were reported during the study. Pre-pandemic (Sep 2019 to Feb 2020), there were 2,767 non-COVID-19 visits rate per million person-month, which decreased to 1,884 during the first COVID-19 wave with a national lockdown from Feb 20 to Apr 19, 2020 (IRR 0.68, [0.56–0.84]). The non-COVID-19 ED mortality risk was 8.17 per 1,000 visit-month during the pre-pandemic period, rising to 12.80 during the first wave of COVID-19 (RR 1.57, [1.49–165]). Non-COVID-19 ED visit rates decreased during the first pandemic year from Sep 2020 to Feb 2021 (IRR 0.73, [0.63–0.86]), but increased after COVID-19 vaccination two years later from Sep 2021 to Feb 2022 (IRR 1.11, [0.96–0.17]). The total ED mortality risk for non-COVID-19 was significantly higher after the COVID-19 outbreak in the first (RR 1.66, [1.59–1.72]) and second years (RR 1.27, [1.22–1.32]) of the pandemic. The visit incidence rate for mental health and substance use disorders declined from 8.18 per million person-month to 4.57 (IRR 0.53, [0.32 to 0.90]) in the first wave. In the second year, unintentional injury visits increased significantly compared with pre-pandemic (IRR 1.63, [1.30–2.03]). As compared to before the pandemic, there was no significant change in CVD and self-harm visit rates during the pandemic. Cardiac arrest was the leading cause of death in Iran hospitals' EDs. Conclusion: In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, non-COVID-19 hospital ED visits declined and mortality risk increased. Despite two years since the COVID-19 outbreak, non-COVID-19 ED mortality risk remains high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary healthcare centers (PHCs) serve as the cornerstone of accessible medical services in society, playing a crucial role in screening, detecting, and treating various health issues. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in middle-aged individuals who refer to PHCs and the potential of PHCs in diagnosing mental disorders. Methods: This cross-sectional study was implemented at PHCs under the supervision of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS) in northeast Iran in 2018. The enrolled subjects were middle-aged adults who had electronic medical records in SINA, an integrated health management system, and the electronic medical records of MUMS. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders by type and their relationship with demographic information was evaluated by a Chi-square test using SPSS 22. Results: This study involved 218,341 middle-aged participants. Prevalence of psychiatric disorders was 8.59%, and depression (53.72%) and anxiety (42.02%) were the most common psychiatric disorders in both males and females. The prevalence of mental disorders was significantly higher in females than in males (88.18% vs. 18.81%; P < 0.0001). Indeed, a significant higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, somatoform, childhood psychiatric disorder, and bipolar disorders was observed in females compared to males (P < 0.05). In addition, individuals between the age of 45–60 years, and those from rural areas showed more prevalence of mental disorders than others, but these differences were not significant. Conclusions: Considering the previous studies in Iran, the prevalence of mental disorders among patients presenting to PHCs was noticeably lower than expected rates. It seems probable that this huge difference is due to poor screening and detection of mental illness in PHCs of MUMS. It is recommended that health policymakers pursue specific measures to make PHCs more helpful for people with mental health problems in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sexual Dysfunctions (SDs) and High-Risk Sexual Behaviors (HRSBs) are highly prevalent and substantial issues among patients with severe psychiatric disorders. However, studies exploring them are still infrequent. This study was conducted to evaluate SDs and HRSBs in women wth severe psychiatric disorders. Methods: Female inpatients and outpatients of the Iran Psychiatry Hospital were selected if they were 18-60 years old, able to read, and diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or type one Bipolar Disorder (B1D). After the initial interviews, the outcomes were assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), and Sexual Risk Survey (SRS) questionnaires. Results: The mean (standard deviation) age of the 159 patients was 36.9 (10.1). B1D, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder were diagnosed in 98, 53, and eight patients, respectively. FSFI evaluations demonstrated that several SDs, including pain and decreased sexual desire, are highly prevalent in them. Based on the results of YRBSS and SRS evaluations, the most predominant HRSBs were sexual behaviors without leading to complete intercourse, having sex without a barrier or effective contraception, using alcohol and drugs before sex, and impulsive sexual intercourse with inadequately known partners. Conclusion: All evaluated SDs had a high prevalence attributable to the pathophysiology of severe psychiatric disorders and related medications. HRSBs were also widespread due to impaired judgment, poor knowledge, or sexual characteristics of the disorders. These results support the need for further educating these patients concerning safe sexual behaviors and interactions of contraceptive medications with specific psychiatric medicines, including carbamazepine and sodium valproate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Family members of Chronic Mental Disorders (CMD), who are responsible for patient care, face many physical, psychological, and social problems which make them face the burden of care. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a psychosocial health promotion program on the care burden of family caregivers of patients with CMD. Materials and Methods: This is a quasi experimental study that was conducted in two intervention and control groups in the form of pretest and posttest. This study was performed on 67 family caregivers of patients with CMD in Farabi and Noor centers in Isfahan, Iran. Participants in this study were randomly divided into two intervention and control groups. Data from the intervention and control groups were collected in two stages, before and after the intervention by demographic information form and Zarit burden questionnaire. The intervention group received a web based psychosocial health promotion program in eight sessions in 4 weeks. At the end of the intervention, the Zarit questionnaire was completed by the intervention and control groups. Results: The mean score of care burden between the intervention and control groups was not statistically significantly different before the implementation of the program (p = 0.534). But after the intervention, the mean score of care burden was significantly different between the two groups (t65 = 3.43, p = 0.001). Conclusions: This study provides evidence for the benefits of web based psychosocial health promotion program in reducing the perceived care burden of the caregiver of CMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Our primary aim was to determine sociodemographic and health-related risk factors for diagnosed common mental disorders (CMDs) among young refugees in Sweden. Methods All young adult refugees from Iran, Somalia and Syria (n  = 7192), who were residents in Sweden in 2009, were followed from 2010 to 2013 regarding diagnosed CMDs. Cox regression models were used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) of CMDs with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Those arriving as unaccompanied refugee minors had a lower risk of being diagnosed with CMDs (HR: 0.7; 95%CI: 0.6–0.9) than those arriving as accompanied refugee minors. A higher risk of being diagnosed with CMDs was also found in female refugees (HR: 1.3; 95%CI: 1.1–1.5) compared with male refugees. In addition, individuals with a low (HR: 1.7; 95%CI: 1.3–2.3) or a medium (HR: 1.4; 95%CI: 1.1–1.8) educational level were found to have a higher risk of being diagnosed with CMDs compared with individuals with a high educational level. Refugees from Iran (HR: 2.3; 95%CI: 1.8–2.9) had a higher risk of a diagnosis of a CMD than refugees from Somalia. Moreover, refugees with a diagnosis of a mental disorder other than a CMD (HR: 4.2; 95%CI: 2.8–6.1), digestive (HR: 1.5; 95%CI: 1.0–2.2) or musculoskeletal diseases (HR: 1.5; 95%CI: 1.0–2.2) had a higher risk of being diagnosed with subsequent CMDs, compared with those with no such disorders. Conclusions Pre-existing diagnoses of mental disorders other than CMDs, and digestive and musculoskeletal disorders should be carefully considered in clinical assessments to initiate early interventions to prevent CMDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Psoriasis is recognized as a chronic immune system disease with unknown etiology that affects the skin. It might lead to psychological issues and pose considerable distress. The purpose of this study was to investigate the rate of social acceptance in psoriasis patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study which was carried out on all the patients (n=100) referred to specialized skin diseases clinic in Yazd, Iran. 100 psoriasis patients and 100 healthy people as a control group were enlisted. The patients were eliminated from the research in case they had other chronic medical conditions since it could affect social acceptance. The patients completed a social acceptability questionnaire (Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale) and demographic information was also collected. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and chi square test in the form of descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS-24 software. Results: The mean of patients' age was 36.97±13.94 years old and 66% of the patients were female. Mean score of social acceptance was 18.04±4.4. The mean score of social acceptance in psoriasis patients' group (>40 years old) was estimated higher than in other groups (p>0.05). The results revealed that only the job variable affected the Mean±SD of social acceptance in these patients. The rate of social acceptance in psoriasis patients was higher in those with governmental jobs in comparison to those with self-employment jobs. Overall, the level of social acceptance in people with psoriasis was lower than in the control group. Conclusion: This study showed that psoriasis patients who had governmental jobs received a great deal of acceptance via the people around them and they generally had a better quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: chronic periodontitis is a slowgrowing inflammdory disease mostly evident in adults Many mental disorders such as depression are related to some physical diseases. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the indicators of chronic periodontitis in people with major depression compared to healthy people in Ilam city in 2021-2022. Materials and Methods: The type of cross-sectional study is descriptive and analytical. The statistical population included 84 patients with major depression who are hospitalized or outpatients in the psychiatric department of Mustafa Hospital. Information was collected through a researcher-made form. This form contains two parts: demographic information part (age, sex, education, place of residence, contact number, duration of illness); periodontal information section (including plaque index, pocket depth, bleeding and adhesion limit). Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 18 and t-tests, analysis of variance and Pearson's correlation. Results: In this study, 84 people including depressed patients (42people) and healthy people (42people) were investigated. The average age of the two groups was 36.11 and 32.9 years, respectively. The indices of pocket depth and buccal and palatal bleeding, clinical attachment level and plaque were significantly higher in depressed patients. Older age, female sex, and lower education were more common in people with depression, but only the level of education was statistically significant (P<0.001). BOP in depressed patients was significantly more than healthy people.(p<0.01) This plaque index was significantly higher in depressed patients with less and higher education than healthy people .(p<0.01) Conclusion: It seems, Periodontal indexes such as gingival bleeding and pocket depth were higher in patients with major depressive disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) households are at greater risk for mental illnesses. Socioeconomic status has different dimensions: Objective SES, subjective SES, and contextual SES. Evidence suggests that subjective SES partially mediates the impact of objective SES on mental health. However, these hypotheses have not been tested in Middle Eastern cultures, including Iran. Objectives: We aimed to investigate: (1) if there is an association between parental objective, subjective, and contextual SES measures and their children's mental health in a network of general practitioners' clients, (2) if such an association exists for objective or contextual indicators, is it partially or fully mediated through subjective measure? and (3) if such an association exists, is it affected by children's age?. Methods:We assessed 1,103 parent-child pairs in the general practitioners' network of clients. The child's mental healthwasassessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and parental objective SES by education level, subjective SES by the MacArthur scale, and contextual SES by the household neighborhood. Linear regression models were used to investigate the impact of different SES measures on the SDQ score both bivariately and adjusted for each other. A mediation analysis was performed for objective SES' indirect effect on SDQ score through subjective SES. Results: We found a significant association between objective and subjective SES and the SDQ score, which remained significant after adjusting for each other. Both objective and subjective measures had a small effect size (Cohen's f-squared = 0.03). There was no association between contextual SES and SDQ scores in our sample. Conclusions: Socioeconomic status impacts children and adolescents' mental health. However, SES is a multi-dimensional concept. Further research considering different dimensions is needed to understand the interplay of these dimensions in different cultures and contexts. Addressing such exploratory questions may help pave the way for detecting and addressing these social determinants in primary care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigated the association between internalized stigma and hope, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and treatment adherence and explored the most influential and predictive factor of internalized stigma among patients with severe mental disorders. Materials and Methods: This correlational descriptive study was conducted on 257 outpatients diagnosed with severe mental illness according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) diagnostic criteria. The participants were seeking treatment at outpatient and affiliated clinics of Razi Hospital, Iran, from October 2018 to May 2019. We used a convenient sampling design. Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale, Dispositional Hope Scale, Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Drug Attitude Inventory were used to gather data. The data were analyzed using inferential statistics (Pearson correlation, coefficient logistic, and regression analyses) at a 0.05 significance level. Results: The mean (standard deviation) score of internalized stigma was 1.57 (0.49), and 58% of the participants reported moderate to high internalized stigma. A negative significant relationship was found between internalized stigma and hope (r = -0.55, p < 0.05), self-esteem (r = -0.66, p < 0.05), and self-efficacy (r = -0.64, p < 0.05). Treatment adherence was not found to be significantly associated with the internalized stigma. In the final regression model, self-esteem and self-efficacy significantly predicted internalized stigma. Conclusions: Given the crucial role of self-esteem and self-efficacy in predicting internalized stigma, nurses should devote special attention to these factors and use strategies to improve individuals' self-esteem and self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many mental problems lead to the occurrence of physical diseases, causing worse consequences of diseases. Despite many studies in the field of personality types and types of mental disorders, this relationship and the mediating role of coping styles in cardiovascular patients are still not well known. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the mediating role of coping styles in the relationship between personality types and mental disorders in cardiovascular patients. Method: The present study is a cross-sectional study that was conducted on 114 cardiovascular patients at the heart center in Bushehr, Iran. The sampling method is simple random sampling. Demographic information form, MCMI-III questionnaire, NEO-FFI questionnaire, and Lazarus and Folkman coping styles questionnaire were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22 and Amos 24 software. Descriptive statistics methods (mean, variance and percentage), Pearson correlation, and structural equation model (SEM) were applied to analyze the data. Results: The findings showed that the two variables of personality types and problem-oriented explain 15.2% of the variable of mental disorders, of which 10.7% is related to the variable of personality types and 4.5% is related to the intermediate variable of problem-oriented. Among the personality types, the neurotic personality type has the biggest role (0.632) and has a direct and significant effect on mental disorders. Also, the personality types of extroversion (-0.460), agreeableness (-0.312), and responsibility (-0.986) exert inverse and significant effects on mental disorders. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed the frequency of personality disorders and other mental disorders among heart patients. Problem-oriented coping style plays a mediating role between personality types and mental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In old age, people suffer from many mental and physical illnesses, which make it important for the elderly to pay attention to adapting to these diseases. So, the aim of this research was to study the role of perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and giving meaning to life in psychosocial adjustment, as well as the mediating role of self-care in the elderly. Method: This research was descriptive and correlational, conducted through available sampling of 200 elderly people who lived in the city of Ardabil. After the necessary assessments in terms of mental disorders and inclusion criteria, they were chosen to conduct this investigation in 2020. The Meaning in Life Questionnaire, Psychosocial Adjustment Scale, Self-Care Questionnaire for the Elderly, and Interpersonal Needs scale were used to gather the data. The data were analyzed using SPSS25 and Amos24 software. Results: The findings showed that perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness have a negative and direct effect on elderly self-care [β = -0.25, P < 0.01] [β = -0.20, P < 0.05] and psychosocial adjustment [β = -0.0, P < 0.05] [β = -0.12, P < 0.05]. Also, giving meaning to life has a positive and direct effect on elderly self-care [β = 0.32, P = 0.01] and psychosocial adjustment [β = 0.033, P < 0.01]. The variable of self-care can play a mediating role in the relationship between thwarted belongingness [β = -0.174, P < 0.05], perceived burdensomeness [β = -0.140, P < 0.05], and giving meaning to life [β = 0.223, P < 0.05] with psychosocial adjustment. Moreover, among the exogenous variables, thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness by change in self-care have been able to reduce psychosocial adjustment. Giving meaning through self-care, however, has increased psychosocial adjustment. Conclusion: The findings revealed that thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and giving meaning to life are important variables in health and adaptability of the elderly, which draws attention to family-centered interventions and individual therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High-risk behaviors in people with severe mental illnesses, such drug injection by shared equipment and unprotected sex, expose them to the risk of blood-borne infections such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HBV and HCV serum markers in people with severe mental illnesses in Tehran, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, people with mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression, were studied. The participants were recruited using a non-random convenience sampling method from Roozbeh and Razi hospitals in Tehran between December 2019 and March 2020. Blood samples were evaluated for HCV-Ab, HBs Ag, HBs Ab, and HBc Ab using an enzyme immunoassay technique. Results: A total of 257 participants were recruited for this study; their mean age was 35.77 years, and 70.0% of whom were male. Bipolar disorder (40.5%) and schizophrenia (35.8%) were the most frequent severe mental disorders in the participants. The prevalence of HBV and HCV seromarkers was as follows: HBs Ag: 0.3% (95% CI: 0.0 - 2.0%), HBc Ab: 7.3% (95% CI: 4.6 - 11.3%), HBs Ab: 18.7% (95% CI: 14.1 - 24.0%), and HCV Ab: 3.1% (95% CI: 1.3 - 6.9%). In logistic regression analysis, tattooing (OR = 4.94, 95% CI: 1.73 - 14.13) and age (OR= 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01 - 1.11) were associated with HBV infection (HBc Ab positivity), and only tattooing (OR= 6.33, 95% CI: 1.19 - 33.80) was significantly associated with exposure to HCV. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the prevalence of HBsAg positivity in people with severe mental illness was not higher than that in the general population of Iran; however, HCV Ab positivity was more prevalent in people with severe mental illness than in the general population of Iran. Preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic interventions for HCV infection are needed in this population in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to examine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 for personality disorders (SCID-5-PD) among patients referred to psychiatric centres in Iran. Methods: Between March 2017 and June 2019, 287 outpatients and inpatients aged 16 to 75 years who were referred to three psychiatric centres in Tehran, Iran were invited to participate. Patients were interviewed using the Persian version of the SCID-5-PD by two PhD students in clinical psychology who were blinded to patient records. Face validity and content validity of the Persian version of the SCID-5-PD were assessed by five specialists with ≥2 years of clinical experience. The agreement between the diagnoses made with the Persian version of the SCID-5-PD by the two PhD students in clinical psychology and the gold standard diagnoses made with DSM-5 by psychiatrists was determined, as were sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios. 109 (43.6%) patients were interviewed again after an interval of 7 to 10 days for inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability. Results: A total of 250 patients aged 17 to 74 (mean, 32.56) years were included. Face validity and content validity of the Persian version of SCID-5-PD were acceptable. The agreement between the Persian version of SCID-5-PD and DSM-5 (gold standard) was acceptable (kappa >0.4) for the diagnoses of obsessive-compulsive, paranoid, schizotypal, schizoid, histrionic, narcissistic, borderline, and antisocial personality disorders, whereas the agreement was unacceptable (kappa <0.4) for the diagnoses of avoidant and dependent personality disorders. Sensitivity for all diagnoses was high, except for avoidant (0.66) and dependent (0.66) personality disorders. Specificity for all diagnoses was high, except for avoidant personality disorder (0.66). The positive and negative likelihood ratios showed that the SCID-5-PD was accurate for diagnosing all personality disorders, except for schizoid personality disorder. Inter-rater reliability was good for all personality disorders, except for schizotypal personality disorder (0.531). Test-retest reliability was good for all personality disorders. Conclusion: The Persian version of the SCID-5-PD can be used to evaluate those who seek psychotherapy for all personality disorders, except for avoidant, dependent, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Suicide is a global public health issue. The covid‐19 epidemic has led to disturbance in daily life and economic activity. It is assumed that increased stress and anxiety cause suicide. This study aimed to describe the causes and methods of committing suicide during the COVID pandemic. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on all outpatients, inpatients, and those who died during the period from March 21, 2021 to March 20, 2022 due to suicide attempts, referred to hospitals and clinics affiliated with Jahrom University of Medical Sciences or were identified by the social emergency and welfare organization. Results: A total of 330 suicide attempters with an average age of 26.74 ± 0.64 years were studied. They were 220 women (66.67%), 159 single (48.18%), and 309 (73.64%) people who had diplomas and high school degrees. In general, the three main reasons for committing suicide were emotional issues and problems with 169 people (51.21%), family violence with 127 people (38.48%), and economic issues and problems with 90 people (27.27%). In terms of suicide manners, 283 people (85.76%) used medicine (or pharmaceuticals), 16 people (4.85%) used agricultural pesticides, and 11 people (3.33%) used rodenticides. Furthermore, 164 people (49.70%) suffered from depression, 94 people (28.49%) were children of divorce, 60 people (18.18%) were drug users, 151 people (45.76%) had a history of alcohol consumption, and 116 people (35.15%) had a history of committing suicide. A total of 6 cases of complete suicide (leading to death) have occurred. Conclusion: The most important factors for suicide throughout the covid‐19 epidemic were emotional issues, marital incompatibility, and economic issues. Medicine poisoning was the most important method of committing suicide. In times of crisis, a multisectoral public health approach is needed to prevent increased anxiety, stress, and subsequent suicide attempts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Mental disorders during pregnancy can be associated with adverse delivery and neonatal outcomes, as well as a higher risk of postpartum mental disorders. Objectives. This study was conducted to determine the factors associated with mental disorders in pregnant women. Material and methods. Using stratified multistage random sampling, 332 participants were selected among pregnant women covered by health centres for prenatal care from April to September 2019 in the west of Iran. After obtaining informed consent from these people, the demographic questionnaire and the Persian version of the Goldberg GHQ-28 questionnaire were completed for them by a trained midwife. The data was analysed in SPSS 22 using descriptive statistics, the t-Test and ANOVA. Results. The mean age and mean gestational age of the 332 pregnant women under study were 29.01 ± 5.44 years and 22.95 ± 8.95 weeks, respectively. About 32.5% (n = 108) of the women were suspected of having general mental health disorders. The mean scores of the subscales and general mental health disorders were significantly higher in pregnant women with unwanted pregnancy, marital dissatisfaction, a history of domestic violence and in those between 43–47 years of age (p < 0.05). However, the differences between the mean scores of the disorders were not statistically significant in women with a history of abortion and infertility, gestational age and gender, educational levels and occupation. Conclusions. The results of this study showed that 32.5% of the pregnant women were suspected of having general mental health disorders. Mental health disorders were more common in pregnant women with unwanted pregnancy, marital dissatisfaction, a history of domestic violence in those between 43–47 years of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have suggested a significant association between diet quality and mental health. However, a limited number of studies have utilized the Prime Diet Quality Score (PDQS) to examine this association. Additionally, no study has yet compared the PDQS and Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) in terms of their association with depression and anxiety., Aim: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between diet quality, measured by the PDQS and HEI-2015, and the odds of depression and anxiety in adults., Methods: This study utilized data from the LIPOKAP study, which was conducted between February 2018 and July 2019 in five cities in Iran. We included 1994 adults aged 18 and above who were selected through a multistage cluster sampling method. Participants completed a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to evaluate their dietary intake. The FFQ was used to calculate the PDQS and HEI-2015. Depression and anxiety levels were determined using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)., Results: The participants had a mean age of 39.79 ± 13.87 years, with females accounting for 1,041 (52.2%) of the total population. PDQS showed a significant inverse association with the odds of depression (OR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.28-0.71) and anxiety (OR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.25-0.62) in the fully adjusted model. Similarly, the highest quartile of HEI-2015 showed a significantly lower odds of depression (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.40-0.90) and anxiety (OR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.42-0.92) compared to the lowest quartile., Conclusion: Both PDQS and HEI-2015 were associated with a reduced risk of depression and anxiety. However, the PDQS demonstrated a stronger inverse association with these risks compared to the HEI-2015. This suggests that the PDQS could be a more beneficial dietary pattern for preventing depression and anxiety compared to HEI-2015. Further large-scale studies are required to confirm these findings., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: With rising demand for soft drinks (SDs) in low-income countries, studies examining mental disorders in relation to SDs are rather scarce. Therefore, we aimed to explore this association in a sample of Iranian adults., Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out within the framework of the multi-centric LIPOKAP project, with 1970 Iranian healthy adults. Dietary intake and symptoms of depression and anxiety were collected using validated, Persian versions of a food frequency questionnaire and a Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), respectively. Artificial juices were considered fruit-flavored carbonated sugar beverages, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) included fruit-flavored carbonated sugar beverages and carbonated colas, and soft drinks included SSB and drinks containing non-nutritive sweeteners., Results: The mean age of the participants was 39.8 ± 13.9 years. Compared to lower intake, higher intake of SDs (OR = 1.30, 95 % CI: 1.01, 1.69; P = 0.041), SSBs (OR = 1.30, 95 % CI: 1.00, 1.67; P = 0.045) and artificial juice (OR = 1.63, 95 % CI: 1.24, 2.13; P < 0.001) was associated with higher risk of depression in adjusted model. These associations were sex-specific and more evident in males. No significant association was found between any of the drinks and anxiety risk except for artificial juice in men which was directly associated with anxiety risk (OR = 1.66, 95 % CI: 1.06, 2.61; P = 0.028)., Conclusion: This study found a positive association between SDs, SSBs and artificial juice and depression, but not anxiety. These associations varied between men and women. Prospective cohort studies are warranted to confirm our results and reveal the causal relationship., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: The determinants and correlates of severe mental disorders are less understood compared to the common mental disorders, both in the world and in Iran. In this study, we aimed to identify a wide range of determinants of severe stress, severe anger, and severe sadness among Iranian population. Methods: This study is part of a large nationwide cross-sectional survey entitled STEPs conducted using a comprehensive questionnaire to determine the prevalence of main preventable risk factors of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Iran by age and sex groups in 2016. In total, 30541 people aged 18 + participated in this study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between the dependent variable, which is severe mental disorders, and independent variables including socio-economic factors, lifestyle and selected NCDs. Results: The prevalence of severe stress, severe anger and sever sadness in the Iranian society was 33%, 35%, and 25%, respectively. Of the investigated socio-economic factors, being men, older, never married and living in rural areas were associated with significantly lower experience of severe mental disorders compared to other groups. For education, income and wealth index, there was no linear and clear pattern. Among lifestyle factors, being nonsmoker, having low physical activities, and higher intake of fruits and vegetables were found to be preventive of severe mental disorders. Additionally, having NCDs including hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart attacks were also significantly correlated with severe mental disorders. Conclusion: determining factors associated with severe mental disorders in this study would help in raising people's awareness on avoiding harmful factors, and taking healthier lifestyle such as quitting smoke, and consuming enough vegetables and fruits. Screening high risk people in terms of mental health could contribute to the reduction of mental disorders in the Iranian community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bipolar Depression Rating Scale (BDRS) is a structured rating scale designed to assess depressive and mixed symptoms in bipolar disorder (BD). Previous studies evaluating the scale have been performed on small samples or on patients in a depressive phase, but not on patients in a mixed or manic phase. This study evaluated the Persian version of the BDRS regarding its factor structure, reliability, and validity in a large sample of Iranian women with BD in a depressive or mixed/manic phase. Three-hundred and one female BD inpatients completed the BDRS, the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). The BDRS demonstrated a three-factor structure with good reliability. The BDRS and its psychological and somatic symptom clusters had stronger correlations with other measures of depressive symptoms than a measure of mania. The BDRS mixed symptom cluster also had a stronger correlation with a measure of mania than other measures of depression, supporting the scales' convergent and discriminant validity. The BDRS demonstrated psychometric validity in assessing depressive and mixed symptoms in Iranian women with BD in a depressive or mixed/manic phase. The Bipolar Depression Rating Scale (BDRS) was validated in Iranian women with BD. The BDRS showed a three-factor structure, similar to the original validation. The BDRS had good reliability based on Omega and test-retest coefficients. The findings provided evidence for the convergent and discriminant validity of the BDRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the important issues regarding caring for patients with mental disorders is the high prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression in their caregivers. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a spirituality-based program on stress, anxiety, and depression of caregivers of patients with mental disorders. This clinical-trial study involved 60 family caregivers of patients with mental disorders who were referred to the clinic of Shahid Ayatollah Modarres Psychiatric Hospital in Isfahan, Iran, during 2019–2020. Accordingly, the samples were selected using convenient sampling method and then divided into two groups of experimental and control by simple random allocation. Next, the spirituality-based intervention was performed for the intervention group, and the needed data were collected in both intervention and control groups before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention. The data collection tool used in this study was DASS-21 questionnaire. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of the mean scores of stress, anxiety, and depression (p > 0.05) before the intervention. However, some significant differences were found in terms of the stress, anxiety, and depression scores between the two groups immediately (p < 0.001) and one month after the intervention (p < 0.001). The spirituality-based program seemed to affect stress, anxiety, and depression of caregivers of patients with mental disorders positively. So, it is suggested to perform this intervention as an inexpensive and available supportive method for family caregivers of patients with mental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Music is a scientific-cultural phenomenon that is related to medicine. The present study aims at reviewing the status of Iranian music in medical knowledge and its effectiveness on the brain and other organs of the body for treatment. This study with a descriptive-analytical approach by the keywords of music therapy, songs, and music history has been done by reviewing papers, books, medical history sources, and valid databases. A content review of texts shows that Iranian musicians have been aware of the music’s effect on the quadruple temperaments as maintaining health and a therapeutic method for physical and mental illnesses. They believed in the connection between human nature and melodies. Today, researchers also believe that the metaphysical power of music and its positive effects on human morality and behavior and emotional states can be viewed from two dimensions: general and specific. Music therapy is a complementary therapy that improves the healing process of patients by raising the threshold of beneficial stress and mitigating negative affections, regulating internal processes, creating a state of relaxation, and boosting safety strength. Music was played in religious ceremonies in ancient Iran and was a sub-branch of mathematical sciences. Philosophers, physicians, musicians, and even poets have expounded on the effect of music on the human psyche. Music stimulates motivation, energy, and emotional connection, and because of its cost-effectiveness, attractiveness, ease of use, non-invasiveness, and performance by non-specialists, the latter can be used as a particular therapeutic technique in medicine and standard therapies and rehabilitation. Music is a scientific-cultural phenomenon that is related to medicine. The present study aims at reviewing the status of Iranian music in medical knowledge and its effectiveness on the brain and other organs of the body for treatment. This study with a descriptive-analytical approach by the keywords of music therapy, songs, and music history has been done by reviewing papers, books, medical history sources, and valid databases. A content review of texts shows that Iranian musicians have been aware of the music’s effect on the quadruple temperaments as maintaining health and a therapeutic method for physical and mental illnesses. They believed in the connection between human nature and melodies. Today, researchers also believe that the metaphysical power of music and its positive effects on human morality and behavior and emotional states can be viewed from two dimensions: general and specific. Music therapy is a complementary therapy that improves the healing process of patients by raising the threshold of beneficial stress and mitigating negative affections, regulating internal processes, creating a state of relaxation, and boosting safety strength. Music was played in religious ceremonies in ancient Iran and was a sub-branch of mathematical sciences. Philosophers, physicians, musicians, and even poets have expounded on the effect of music on the human psyche. Music stimulates motivation, energy, and emotional connection, and because of its cost-effectiveness, attractiveness, ease of use, non-invasiveness, and performance by non-specialists, the latter can be used as a particular therapeutic technique in medicine and standard therapies and rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are increasing challenges related to mental health in the public health system, and almost 80% of mental illnesses are reported in low- and middle-income countries. The stigma associated with mental illness leads to reduced access to health services, inadequate treatment, and poor outcomes. This paper, drawing on Norton1 conceptualization of language investment, investigates the effect of English language learning on self-stigma among patients suffering from mental disorders. Methods: An experimental design with a pre-post test format and a six-month follow-up with English language instruction and a control group was used for this study. A total of 52 adults with mental illness diagnoses from a center for patients suffering from mental disorders in Isfahan, Iran, participated in this study. Data were collected using an English language proficiency test and the Self-Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (SSMIS), a self-report questionnaire to assess the internalization of stigmatic views. Results: The analysis indicated that the experimental group showed significant improvements in being empowered with higher levels of English language proficiency and stigma reduction (P < 0.01). The findings of this study provide theoretical support for Norton's model of investment and demonstrate its applicability among people with mental problems. Furthermore, the study provides evidence that it is feasible to implement successful English language teaching among patients with mental illness, which has received insufficient attention in academic studies. Conclusion: Policymakers, psychiatrists, doctors, and people dealing with mental diseases can use English language instruction to reduce stigma and promote a non-stigmatizing attitude among people with mental illnesses. The current study contributes to our understanding of English language teaching in the medical field. Results of the study support the use of secondlanguage teaching to reduce stigma among people suffering from mental illnesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The profile of mental disorders has been changing over time. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of mental disorders in children and adolescents in the Lorestan province of Iran. Materials & Methods This community-based cross-sectional study was done on 1001 children and adolescents aged 6-18 years from Lorestan province randomly selected by multistage cluster sampling method. Children and their parents were interviewed using the Kiddie-Sads-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL). Also, the comorbidities of psychiatric disorders were evaluated. Results According to obtained results, 25.1% of participants were diagnosed to have at least one psychiatric disorder. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders was not significantly different between the two sexes (OR=0.876, P=0.378) and three age groups (P>0.05). this prevalence was significantly higher in rural areas than in urban areas (OR= 1.997, P=0) and was significantly lower in children of fathers with a high school diploma or higher education compared to children of less-educated fathers (P<0.05). On contrary, it was significantly more prevalent in children of mothers with high school and bachelor's degrees compared to illiterate mothers. (p<0.05). The most prevalent psychiatric disorders were oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) (5.9%), separation anxiety disorder (5.3%), and depressive disorders (5%). The most prevalent groups of psychiatric disorders included anxiety disorders (11.2%), behavioral disorders (9.4%), and mood disorders (5%). Behavioral disorders were highly comorbid with anxiety disorders (20.7%). Conclusion Mental disorders affect a high proportion of children and adolescents in Lorestan province. There is a need for psychiatric facilities to provide for the needs of families to child mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Treatment nonadherence in patients with mental illnesses recurs and exacerbates the complications of the disease and disrupts the treatment process. Experienced stigma may aggravate treatment nonadherence while spiritual well-being may improve stigma and treatment adherence. This study aimed to determine the relationship of stigma with treatment adherence and spiritual well-being in patients with mental illnesses in Iran in 2019. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional correlational study was performed on patients with mental illnesses who referred to Farshchian Psychiatry Hospital of Hamadan, from December 2018 to March 2019. A total of 250 available patients were selected and asked to complete demographic, stigma, treatment adherence, and spiritual well-being questionnaires under the supervision of a researcher. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and path analysis in SPSS22 and AMOS23. Results: Mean stigma, treatment adherence, and spiritual well-being scores were calculated as 2.2±0.5, 139.89±27.52, and 83.12±19.5, respectively. The results showed a significant negative correlation between stigma and treatment adherence (r=-0.54, P<0.001). In addition, there was a significant direct relationship between treatment adherence and spiritual well-being (r=0.44, P<0.001) and a significant negative relationship between stigma and spiritual well-being (r=-0.48, P<0.001) Discussion and Conclusion: The results showed a relationship between stigma and treatment adherence, stigma and spiritual well-being, and spiritual well-being and treatment adherence. Then can be suggested that treatment teams can improve treatment adherence by undertaking several interventions to reduce stigma and promote spiritual well-being to prevent the adverse individual and social effects of treatment nonadherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the experience of healthcare professionals in providing mental health services to women with postpartum depression (PPD). Methods: In this qualitative study, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five physicians, five midwives and five psychologists from 14 urban healthcare centres in Kerman, Iran, from April 2019 to September 2019. Purposeful sampling was used to select the participants. Data were qualitatively analysed using a content analysis approach. Results: Data analysis revealed the main theme of the study: 'the long way ahead for comprehensive, integrated and responsive mental health services'. This theme included four categories: 'postpartum depression challenges', 'social and personal factors', 'structural challenges' and 'need for change in mental health services'. The participants described that depression diagnosis is difficult due to insufficient knowledge among healthcare providers and the hidden signs of PPD. They also described how different factors such as economic and cultural factors, personality traits, a community's lack of knowledge, negative attitude towards depression and limited family support might cause depression. Moreover, providing mental health services involves certain challenges, such as limited human resources, insufficient financial resources and incomplete or inefficient policy-making. Conclusion: Although measures have been taken to provide mental health services, there are many challenges regarding providing mental health services to mothers. Therefore, serious measures should be taken to improve mental health services and re-define the existing measures. Informing the community, empowering the healthcare providers and attempting to change the community's attitudes and beliefs can affect the mental healthcare of women with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Young adults not only face somatic and psychiatric disorders but they also engage in risky behaviors. The aim of this study was to address the association between psychiatric disorders and multiple health-risk behaviors. Methods: This study reports on a national survey of psychiatric disorders and addictive behaviors (PDABs) among 4261 Iranian university students from 13 medical science universities throughout Iran in 2017. The outcome of interest was psychiatric disorders, and the evaluated health-risk behaviors were cigarette smoking during the past month, using any kind of illicit drugs during the past month, drinking alcohol during the past month, having unprotected sexual intercourse during the past year, having suicidal ideation during the past month, attempting suicide in the past year, and Internet addiction. Results: Of the 4261 university students, 1655 (39%) had a certain level of psychiatric disorder and 1590 (37.3%) had engaged in at least one risky behavior. There was a significant association between psychiatric disorder and female gender [odds ratio (OR) = 1.40; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22, 1.61], single status (OR = 2.01; 95% CI 1.66, 2.44), illicit drug abuse (OR = 2.42; 95% CI 1.75, 3.33), suicidal ideation (OR = 3.03; 95% CI 1.98, 4.64), suicide attempt (OR = 2.53; 95% CI 1.62, 3.97), lack of future goal clarity (OR = 2.41; 95% CI 2.06, 2.82), and Internet addiction (OR = 5.16; 95% CI 3.79, 7.04). Conclusions: More than one-third of the students not only have a certain type of psychiatric disorder but also engage in at least one risky behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mental disorders' symptoms affect bio-psycho-social and spiritual conditions in cardiovascular patients. The current research has aimed to investigate the role of mental disorders' symptoms in the prediction of death depression and death among hospitalized cardiovascular patients. Method: The study was carried out as a correlational work. The statistical population consisted of all cardiovascular patients admitted to Shahid Madani Hospital of Khorramabad in 2019. For this purpose, a sample of 183 patients (107 males, 46 females) were selected by convenience sampling method. The participants filled out the Derogatis SCL-90-R, Templer Death Depression Scale, and Templer Death Anxiety Scale. Data was analyzed through logistic regression method using SPSS-22 software. Results: The results indicate that the proportion of death depression and death anxiety in hospitalized patients with cardiovascular disease significantly increases with depression, anxiety, obsessivecompulsive thoughts, and higher age. In addition, the results of logistic regression analysis revealed that depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive thoughts, and higher age significantly predict 27.5% to 30.9% and 22.3% to 29.2% of the variance of death anxiety and death depression, respectively (P<0.001). Conclusion: Evaluation of mental disorders in hospitalized cardiovascular patients is recommended to obtain a more reliable prognosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]