[Strategic thinking measurement among staff managers of Tehran university of medical science]

Introduction: Strategic thinking plays a very important role in continuing survival and development in today's dynamic and changing environments. Strategic thinking is a tool that helps managers creates development plans and new opportunities. This study aimed to evaluate the compliance of strategic thinking with the elements of Goldman model including conceptual thinking, systematic thinking, clever opportunism, and providence

Methods: The statistical population of this descriptive correlation study consisted of 97 senior managers from Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The dominant thinking of the University was assessed based on Goldman's model of strategic thinking [2005]. A standard questionnaire was used for data collection; SPSS 18 was used for the analysis of the data. Moreover, Cronbach alpha coefficient, one sample t-test, Frequency Table, and Column chart were used

Results: The results confirmed that all components of the model had been implemented in the organization in the following sequence: systematic thinking, conceptual thinking, providence, and clever opportunism

Conclusion: According to the findings, managers adhere to a good level of strategic thinking. Systematic thinking and clever opportunism had the highest and lowest applications, respectively

Providing emotional stability through relaxation training

To determine the effects of integrative relaxation training [IRT] on emotional stability, we exposed 32 patients diagnosed with anxiety disorder to a pre-test [16PF] and to 12 sessions of group psychoeducation training. Patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups [study 17 and control 15 patients]. The study group received 12 weekly group sessions of IRT. Level of anxiety was evaluated in a post-test using a questionnaire and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI]. Emotional stability and level of anxiety were significantly reduced in the study group: there was a marked increase in scores for emotionally s and venturesome and a decrease in scores for apprehensive and tense. The STAI score was statistically significantly lower in the study group

[Correlation between women's psychopathological condition and marital satisfaction]

One of the contributing factors in marital satisfaction is psychological issues. The aim of the study was to evaluate the correlation between females mental health and marital satisfaction. Current comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on 245 female subjects with psychopathology attending to a psychiatric clinic in Tehran during two years of 2005-2006. They had a former interview and afterwards fullfilled two questionnaires of ENRICH [for marital satisfaction] and SCL-90-R [assessing mental health]. There was no significant correlation between ENRICH score and that obtained from SCL-90-R. However, factors of depression, anxiety, and obsession-compulsion was negatively correlated with marital satisfaction [P < 0.05]; whereas, phobia was not related to it [P > 0.05]. According to obtained results of correlation between mental health and marital satisfaction, it is recommended to consider marital distress of women with major psychiatric symptoms, especially amongst young couples and therefore, develop some scheduled combination treatment of pharmacotherapy and marital therapy strategies to enhance their marital satisfaction and improve the quality of life, particularly through out the management of anxiety, depression and OCD

Treatment of migraine: How effective is biofeedback assisted relaxation training?

Behavioral interventions such as relaxation training and biofeedback are some of the most effective interventions for management of migraine headaches. In this study we evaluated the utility of biofeedback-assisted progressive muscle relaxation training [PRT] in the treatment of migraine. In this prospective study, twenty patients [12-18 years old] with a confirmed diagnosis of migraine headache, admitted to the Talie counseling center between March 2005 and December 2005, were evaluated; they were randomly assigned into an experimental group receiving biofeedback-assisted PRT and a control group in waiting list. All patients recorded the intensity of the headache and its frequency and duration before and 12 weeks after the treatment. The data was analyzed using Independent sample t-test for mean differences. In the biofeedback-assisted progressive muscle relaxation trained group, a statistically and clinically significant decrease was detected in intensity [p<0.001; mean difference 31.7; SD=1.86], frequency [mean difference = 4.4; SD = 1.58], and duration [mean difference 3.55; SD=1.32] of headaches. It can be concluded that biofeedback-assisted progressive muscle relaxation training is a successful form of therapy in treatment of migraine

[Effects of progressive relaxation training [PRT] on anxiety and skills of control biofeedback responses [EMG and temperature]]

The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Progressive Relaxation Training [PRT] on anxiety and skills of control biofeedback responses [EMG and peripheral temperature] in anxious university students. 21 pairs of undergraduate students [20-30 years old] were selected based on Cattle Anxiety Scales and assigned in two groups of experiment and control. The experiment group received PRT for 10 weeks. Pretest [Cattle Anxiety Scales, EMG, PT] and posttest [Cattle Anxiety Scales, Spilberger Anxiety Inventory, clinical interview, EMG, and P.T] were achieved on both groups. Results have revealed that anxiety factors of personality [C, L ,Q3, Q4 factors], stat and trait of anxiety and EMG amplitudes were all decreased significantly [p<0.05]. Thus, experiment group had obtained adequate skills to control biofeedback responses. PRT is useful intervention to control anxiety as well as increasing skills to control of EMG biofeedback responses