Prediction of elders' general health based on positive and negative perfectionism and type-D personality

Multiple factors such as retirement, work disability, social rejection, physical illness and etc., have an impact on general health of the elders. One factor among others is the role of psychological variables. The study is intended to assess the effect of positive and negative perfectionism and Type-D personality [distressed] on general health of the elders. In this descriptive-correlation study, 80 people [47 male and 33 female] were selected from residents of Nursing Home in Hamadan and Malayer using non-probability [accessible] sampling method. They responded to the questionnaires of Type-D Personality, Goldberg and Hillier's General Health and Positive and Negative Perfectionism of Terry-Short et al. Positive perfectionism [r = 0.30] and type-D personality [r = 0.32] had significant correlation with general health. Multiple regression analysis revealed that positive perfectionism and type-D personality could explain at least 49% of the variance in general health. Concerning the variables of negative affectivity, social inhibition and social function, the females' mean was higher than that of males and considering the variables of positive perfectionism, and social functioning, the males' mean was higher than that of females. Positive perfectionism decreases mental disorder of the elders by creating optimistic attitudes and enhancing social functions. On the other hand, type-D personality, unlike positive perfectionism, makes elders susceptible to physical illness and mental disorder

Validation of the adult domain-specific hope scale in Iranian postgraduate students

The aim of the present study was to investigate psychometric properties and the Standardization of Simpson's Hope Scale [1999] in Iranian university students. In this descriptive-survey research, 1000 students with age range of 18 to 34 and with the mean age of 23.9 +/- 5.13 were selected via the categorical cluster sampling method from different universities. Then they answered the Snyder's Hope Scale, Oxford Happiness Scale, the Ahwaz Hardiness Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Inventory, Riff's Psychological Well-being Scale, as well as Sympson's [1999] Hope Scale [with little change]. Coefficients of Cronbach's alpha [0.94], split-half [0.85], convergent validity with Hardiness [0.40], Happiness [0.64], Psychological Well-being scales [0.47], divergent validity [Beck Hopelessness, -0.25] criterion validity [Snyder's Hope 0.55] were calculated, which were significant at p<0.01 level. The exploratory factor analysis showed that the 40-item Hope Scale for adults is saturated with five factors [social, academic, family, occupational, and leisure hope] that explain 56% of the scale's variance. Second-order confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the five mentioned factors are well loaded on a principal factor, and therefore, the six-factor model was well fitted with the data [AGFI=0.93, RMSEA= 0.037, NFI=0.98]. The results showed that this test has high reliability and validity and can be used in other studies.

Being a wife of a veteran with psychiatric problem or chemical warfare exposure: a preliminary report from Iran

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between marital satisfaction with psychological health in women whose husbands had either suffered from psychiatric problems or been exposed to chemical warfare during Iraq-Iran imposed war. Participants were selected from the war-affected women in Mazandaran province in north of Iran whose husbands had either suffered from a psychiatric problem [psychiatric group] or had been exposed to chemical warfare [chemical group] during Iran-Iraq war [each consisted of 52 women]. Women were requested to fill in The Evaluation and Nurturing Relationship Issues Communication and Happiness [ENRICH] questionnaire, Symptom Check List 90-Revised [SGL-90-R] as well as a demograhic form. We found significant negative relationships between SCL-90-R scores and the marital satisfaction scores in both groups. The results failed to indicate significant differences between the two groups on marital satisfaction and demograhic characteristics such as age, number of children, handicapped percentage, and educational level. It seems that wives whose husbands had either psychiatric problems or had been exposed to chemical warfare, suffered from diverse psychological problems and medical ailments