Validation of the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory [WHYMPI] for Iranian patients with chronic pain

This study aimed to validate the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory [WHYMPI] for Iranian patients with chronic pain. 585 patients with chronic pain in legs, back, hands, neck and shoulders were entered into this study. The West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory [WHYMPI] was used for assessment of pain in these patients. For validation of this inventory the results were compared with those obtained from Brief Pain Inventory [BPI], Beck Depression Inventory [BDI], State Trait Anxiety Questionnaire and Enrich marriage inventory. Using Cronbach's alpha, validity of the first section of WHYMPI was 0.86, the second section was 0.78, and the third section was 0.75. The Test-retest correlation was 0.95. Also, the correlation of each individual section with the whole inventory was positive and significant. The results indicate that modified form of the West Haven-Yale multidimensional Pain Inventory [WHYMPI] can be used in Iran

[ relationship among brain / behavioral systems, social support and depression]

Since the first theory proposed by Hippocrates about the etiology of depression, many theories have been stated and each of them have emphasized on special factors as a cause of depression. These factors might be genetic [the literature of depression in family] biological [disturbance of chemical materials in body or disturbance of neurotransmitters], psychological [lack of close relationship with individuals, deprivation from mother's love] or environmental [family experiences, negative events in recent years] and in many cases they overlap one another. Among the studies that emphasize on environmental factors, the importance of social support has been considered as a preventive factor for tendency to depression. It seems the evaluation of biological factors that are effective on depression indicates the important contribution of genetic and environmental factors to develop depression. Many studies which has been conducted on the biological determinates of depression have shown some personality characteristics that leading to depression. Among these characteristics we encounter constitutional factors. It seems, there are biological individual differences that will be more susceptible to depression. According to Gray's theory, individual differences in functioning of brain/behavioral systems and interaction between them, is the base of human mood. Gray proposed three brain/behavioral systems: 1] behavioral inhibition system [BIS]; 2] behavioral activation system [BAS] and 3] fight / flight system [FFS].Gray's theory postulates that individuals that are low on the BAS dimension will be more susceptible to depression, whereas individuals that are high on the BIS dimension will be more susceptible to anxiety disorders. Fowles [2000] considered the activity of BIS with anxiety and frustration, and stated that the activity of BAS comes along with hope and relief. Therefore, it seems the sensitivity of each brain/behavioral system has different effects on different persons. In agreement with Gray's personality theory, the present study has designed to test the effect of the brain/behavioral systems in mediating the relationship between social support and depression. For this purpose, 195 females [average age 27.9] from the faculties [management, accountancy and teacher's education] of Azad University [Tehran South Branch] were selected randomly by stratified cluster sampling [based on the clusters of faculty and course]. Subjects completed three questionnaires: 1] Gray-Wilson Personality Questionnaire [GWPQ]; 2] Social Support Questionnaire [Wax and et al] and 3] Beck Depressive Inventory [BDI]. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the hypothesis that the interaction of the social support and behavioral inhibition system would significantly predict the severity of depression. Also, semi-partial correlation was done to determine the effects of independent and mediating variables on the variance of dependent variable. The results indicated that: a] there was negative relationship[r= -0.464, p<0.01] between social support and depression; b]the behavioral activation system and depression did not relate significantly [r=0.083]; c] the relation between the behavioral inhibition system and depression was significant [r= 0.324, p<0.01] and d] in the condition of low social support, the tendency to depression was high, but the behavioral inhibition system mediated this relationship. Although there was a relationship between depression and social support, this relation will be more in the case of high sensitivity of behavioral inhibition system. On the other hand, in the condition of low social support, individuals with high sensitivity of behavioral activation system in comparison with those with high sensitivity of behavioral inhibition system, are more likely to become depressive

Dimensions of perfectionism in depressed and anxious patients

Perfectionism appears to play an important role in the etiology, maintenance, and course of psychological disorders. However, very few clinical data exist to clarify the nature and the relationship between dimensions of perfectionism with depression and anxiety. The aim of this study was to compare dimensions of perfectionism in depressed and anxious patients. Eighty-eight consecutive referrals to the counseling centers of the University of Tehran and Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran Iran, were included in this study in three groups: 1] depressed patients [n= 25]; 2] anxious patients [n= 19]; and 3] matched normal subjects [n= 44] as control. All 88 participants were asked to complete the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. The Beck Depression Inventory and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. It was found that depressed patients had higher levels of Self-Oriented Perfectionism than did the other two groups. It was also found that anxious patients had higher levels of Socially Prescribed Perfectionism [SPP] than did either the depressed or the normal control subjects. In addition, depressed patients reported higher levels of SPP than did normal control subjects. No significant difference was found between the three groups in terms of Other-Oriented Perfectionism. Results of the present study reinforce the need to examine and conceptualize perfectionism as a potentially multidimensional construct