Iranian adolescents with physical-motor disabilities: needs and problems in education and employment

Objectives: The needs and problems of students with physical-motor disabilities should be properly identified in order to solve them

The main purpose of this research was to determine the needs and problems of Iranian male students with physical-motor disabilities in the education and employment dimensions

Methods: This was a descriptive study. All the male students with physical-motor disabilities were selected from the special high schools of Tehran, Iran, in the year 2013-14 as a statistical research community

Of all, only 150 male students with physical-motor disabilities were chosen by convenience sampling method. An edited version of the questionnaire from a previous study on the needs and problems of girls and women was used for this study

Results: According to our results, the main needs of the students in the employment dimension include transportation services, specific training courses, and quotas for employment However, the main problems in the employment dimension include displacement and transportation problems, and lack of policy enforcement. Similarly, the priority needs in the education dimension include community education and professional training, whereas the priority problems include displacement and transportation problems

Discussion: The results of this study indicated a variety of problems and needs of the Iranian students with physical-motor disabilities, indicating the requirement of planning and policies to address them

relation between deterministic thinking and mental health among substance abusers involved in a rehabilitation program

Objective: The current research is to investigate the relation between deterministic thinking and mental health among drug abusers, in which the role of cognitive distortions is considered and clarified by focusing on deterministic thinking

Methods: The present study is descriptive and correlative. All individuals with experience of drug abuse who had been referred to the Shafagh Rehabilitation center [Kahrizak] were considered as the statistical population. 110 individuals who were addicted to drugs [stimulants and Methamphetamine] were selected from this population by purposeful sampling to answer questionnaires about deterministic thinking and general health. For data analysis Pearson coefficient correlation and regression analysis was used

Results: The results showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between deterministic thinking and the lack of mental health at the statistical level [r=%22, P<0.05], which had the closest relation to deterministic thinking among the factors of mental health, such as anxiety and depression. It was found that the two factors of deterministic thinking which function as the strongest variables that predict the lack of mental health are: definitiveness in predicting tragic events and future anticipation

Discussion: It seems that drug abusers suffer from deterministic thinking when they are confronted with difficult situations, so they are more affected by depression and anxiety. This way of thinking may play a major role in impelling or restraining drug addiction

effectiveness of problem solving therapy on coping skills in women with type 2 diabetes

Since problem solving group training is a comprehensive, active program and based-on cognitive behavioral approach, the aim of present study was to determine the effectiveness of problem solving therapy on depression and coping style in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. In an experimental design the study was done with pretest-posttest with control group. Totally 30 female clients who had inclusion criteria with score of 20-28 in Beck Depression Inventory was selected from Prophet Mohammad hospital in Tehran and divided to two groups. Then coping skills questionnaire was completed by experimental and control group. The experimental group participated in seven sessions on problem solving therapy, while the control group received no intervention. T-test analysis and variance analysis with repeated measures on one variable were used for data analysis. The results of variance analysis show that teaching problem solving therapy on Zurilla and Goldfried model lead to significant reducing emotion focused coping skills and significant increasing problem focused coping skills among patients with type 2 diabetes on the experimental group. The results also indicated significant reducing depression between this individual in experimental groups. The results of this study indicated that problem solving therapy could be effective way for improvement coping skill and reducing depression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

effectiveness of group hope therapy on hope and depression of mothers with children suffering from cancer in Tehran

Researches mainly focus on patients who suffer from cancer. Families and parents have been neglected in these researches although they experience levels of stress, depression and anxiety. This research aims at studying the effectiveness of Hope Therapy based on group therapy on hope and depression of mothers with children suffering from cancer in Aliasghar Children's Hospital, Tehran [2010]. In this applied and semi-experimental research, 20 mothers were selected based on Snyder Hope Scale and Beck Depression Inventory [pre-test]. They were randomly assigned into two groups of experimental and control. Intervention based on Hope Therapy protocol was executed on the experimental group for eight weeks [eight sessions, each lasted for 2 hours]. Afterwards, posttest was performed for both groups. After eight weeks, the experimental group completed questionnaires and the follow up phase. Results demonstrated that Hope Therapy increases hope [p<0.05], and decreases depression in mothers of children with cancer [p<0.001]. Covariance analysis indicated that Hope Therapy significantly decreases depression and increases hope of mothers whose children suffer from cancer. Follow up results showed no significant changes in hope of this group of mothers in the two months after post-test, but depression was decreased significantly during this period. It was concluded that effectiveness of Hope Therapy may be continued during the follow up phase.

Reduction of deterministic thinking among cancer patients as a new method to increase psychosocial adjustments

Deterministic thinking is one of the major cognitive distortions. This type of thinking ignores any possibility in making a conclusion about events. Any consequence of an event may be thought as: 2x2= 4. Equality is a dominant factor among all conclusions of this kind of distortion. Distortion emerges in cognitive rigidity in the mind and could be the source of all distortions. Cognitive rigidity is a main reason for depression and other psychosocial maladjustments. Challenging distortion was discussed as a new method for improving psychological conditions of cancer patients. Adapting the cultural base of the method, distortion is explained as a destructive factor which ruins the balance of fear and hope, the two important signs of faith in Islamic perspective. The consequence of challenging distortion to reduce depression and anxiety has been explained based on the Islamic Culture. For the first time, in this study, it was proposed that how this method can be used in the treatment of psychological disorders of cancer patients

investigation of difference career maturity based on identity status among adolescence with visual disorder

The current study aimed at investigating the relationship between identity status and career maturity among adolescents with visual disorders, as compared to normal adolescents. The study had two populations: all normal high school students in Tehran city [including boys and girls] and all visually- disabled high school students in Tehran [including boys and girls]. The sample consisted of 275 students, of whom 65 were students with visual disabilities and 210 were normal students. For the students with visual disabilities the sample included all the population and normal students were selected using a multi-stage sampling. To collect data, participants completed Dellas Identity Status Inventory [DISI-O] and Career Development Inventory- Australian- Short Form [CDT-A-SF]. Data were analyzed using kolmogrov-Smirnov test, one way analysis of variance, T-test for independent groups and covariance. Results indicated career maturity differed significantly by different identity status of the participants [p<0.0001]. The statistical differences obtained indicated there were relationships between identity status and career maturity. It was also found career maturity differed significantly among normal and visually-disabled students [p=0.04]. However, no significant difference was found among male and female students in terms of career maturity [p=0.14]. The results of the current study suggested career maturity differed by the four identity statuses. And there is differences between career maturity in normal and visual disabilities group's results indicated mean score of normal student in career maturity was significantly higher than the other group

Study of factors of Marriage motivation among single people with and without visual Impairment

Talking about needs, it means to consider the reasons of human behavior. Because such behavior starts with one or several needs which will cause to develop different societies according to the degree of civilization, and also social-cultural factors treat differently with blinds, so these different circumstances can create different needs and motivation for them. On this basis, in order to measure marriage motivation, a, questionnaire made by researcher using Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which contains 45 questions. The participants consisted of 76 blind [In Isfahan, by using stratified sampling method] and 76 normal. The two groups in respect to age, sex, education level employment and income level were matched. Statistical analysis of results showed that a significant difference exists in respect and self-sufficient factors of marriage motivation between two groups [P<0.05]. With respect to the results, it seems that blind people contrary to relatively deprivation that they face, willing to act upon their own internal values. Therefore any problem in their marriage motivation can be due to their interactions with others

Role of internal and external religious beliefs in mental health and rate of depression in elderly people

The present research is aimed at surveying the role of [internal and external] religious orientation in the mental health and the extent of depression in elderly people residing in welfare centers and the society. The study has been conducted through post-event and correlation method by using stochastic and cluster sampling in 230 cases of elderly people at senior citizens' homes, affiliated with the Welfare Organization, and public places [mosques and parks] which are gathering centers for the elderly people of society, both male and female. The cases were initially screened in terms of recognition complications. Then 28-question tests on general health and depression of Beck and Alport's test on religious approach were completed and the results were analyzed by using Pierson and Manvitni's dependent statistical tests. Results showed that there is a significant correlation between the religious orientation and depression of the elderly people. That is, the more the scores of external religious orientation rise, the more the scores of disorder in mental health and depression increase. There is also a meaningful difference between mental health, depression and religious orientation of the elderly people who are residence and non-residence of the society. That is, the elderly people who live in the centers enjoy a more external religious orientation and disorder of mental health and more depression as compared to the group of the elderly people residing in the society. The external religious belief has a correlation with disorder in the mental health and depression as well as internal religious belief. Moreover, mental disorders and depression among the resident elderly people are higher than non residents, while resident elderly people have a more external religious approach

Changing of students' views toward addiction by self-introduced drug abusers and their families [addiction against addiction]

A group of high school students attended 7 educational sessions for a preventive drug abuse program. The students were exposed to drug abusers and their families. Drug abusers and their families informed the subjects about the consequences of addiction in their life: how they became addicts and how the addiction worsened their psychosocial life. Moreover their families explained to students the miserable situation of their family after addiction of one of the family members. Each session took about 70 minutes and the students were allowed to ask questions concerning addiction to drug abusers and their families. The results of pre-test and post-test of students' views toward addiction showed significant differences between the students' views before and after attending the sessions, and their views became more negative than before attending the sessions. The results were interpreted through social comparison [downward] theory and the Iranian proverb once again prevailed: If you would like to learn morality, you should learn it from people who don't behave on morality