https://www.behavsci.ir/ International Journal of Behavioral Sciences en daily 1 Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://www.behavsci.ir/article_250697.html Introduction: Patients with autoimmune diseases often experience persistent physical and psychological difficulties due to chronic inflammatory conditions that impair immune function. These ongoing challenges can disrupt adaptive emotional regulation and increase psychological distress. Recognizing the emotional component in chronic illness management, this study examined the effectiveness of Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) in improving cognitive emotion regulation among patients with autoimmune diseases. Method: A quasi experimental pre-test, post-test, and follow up design was used with experimental and control groups. Thirty-two patients attending research clinics in Shiraz during late 2023 were selected using purposive sampling and randomly assigned to the two groups. The experimental group received ten 60-minute EFT sessions twice weekly, while the control group received no psychological intervention. Data were collected using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). Analyses were performed with SPSS 27, including descriptive statistics, ANCOVA with repeated measures, Bonferroni post hoc tests, and Mann–Whitney U tests (α = 0.05). Results: A marginally significant difference was found between groups in self-blame at post-test (P = 0.020) and a significant difference at follow up (P < 0.05). Other blame differed significantly only at follow up (P < 0.001), showing a reduction in the experimental group (P = 0.015). Significant between group differences were observed for rumination (P < 0.001) and acceptance (P < 0.05) at both post-test and follow-up. Positive refocusing and catastrophizing showed no significant differences. Conclusion: EFT appears to improve cognitive emotion regulation in patients with autoimmune disease by reducing maladaptive strategies such as self-blame and rumination and strengthening acceptance, thus supporting emotional well-being alongside standard medical treatment. https://www.behavsci.ir/article_250698.html Introduction: The condition of patients with autoimmune diseases is critically influenced by the interaction between emotions, health-related behaviors, and psychological flexibility. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on health-promoting behaviors and psychological flexibility in patients with autoimmune diseases, while examining the role of age as a moderator of change trajectories. Method: This semi-experimental study employed a pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up design with three groups. The statistical population consisted of all patients aged 20 years and above with a confirmed diagnosis of autoimmune disease in Tehran between July and November 2024. The sample consisted of 45 participants selected purposively. The ACT group received eight 90-minute sessions and the EFT group received ten 90-minute sessions, twice a week. Instruments included the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) and the Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire (PFQ). For statistical analyses, Kruskal-Wallis H test and repeated measures analysis of covariance were used. Results: For psychological flexibility, the main group effect was non-significant (p = 0.998), showing no significant differences between the three groups. The time × group interaction was significant (F = 4.25, p = 0.023, η² = 0.20), indicating that changes in psychological flexibility over time varied according to treatment type. For health-promoting behaviors, the time × group interaction was highly significant (F = 8.05, p = 0.001, η² = 0.32), demonstrating greater efficacy of EFT and ACT compared to the control group. The time × age interaction was also significant (F = 10.67, p = 0.003, η² = 0.24). Conclusion: Both EFT and ACT effectively induced meaningful changes in the trajectories of patients with autoimmune diseases, although the speed and nature of their effects differed. https://www.behavsci.ir/article_250699.html Introduction: Grief is a universal experience with profound psychological effects. This study examined the effectiveness of a compassion-focused group bereavement intervention on grief intensity, emotion regulation difficulties, and self-compassion in bereaved women. Method: A randomized controlled trial with pretest–posttest–follow-up design was conducted. Twenty-seven bereaved women from Mashhad, Iran, were purposively sampled and randomly assigned to intervention (n = 13) or control (n = 14) groups. The intervention comprised ten weekly 90-minute compassion-focused grief sessions. Outcomes were measured at pre-test, post-test, and follow-up using the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG, Prigerson et al., 1995), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS, Gratz & Roemer, 2004), and Self-Compassion Scale (SCS, Neff, 2003), and analyzed with mixed repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: The intervention significantly reduced Grief Intensity (F (2,24)=9.84, p=0.001, η²_p=0.451), Emotion Regulation Difficulties (F(2,24)=11.37, p<0.001, η²_p=0.485), and increased Self-Compassion (F(2,24)=4.82, p=0.018, η²_p=0.287) compared to controls. Improvements in grief and emotion regulation were maintained at follow-up, whereas self-compassion increases were most evident immediately post-intervention. Conclusion: Compassion-focused group bereavement intervention effectively alleviates grief, improves emotion regulation, and enhances self-compassion, supporting its use in therapeutic programs to promote mental health. https://www.behavsci.ir/article_250700.html Introduction: The present study examined the effectiveness of mentalization-based training in enhancing we-ness and reducing couple burnout among married women in Isfahan, Iran. Method: This quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design included 28 married women who were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 14) or a control group (n = 14). The intervention group received five weekly 90-minute sessions of mentalization-based training, whereas the control group received no intervention during the study period. Data were collected using the We-ness Questionnaire and the Couple Burnout Measure and analyzed with multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: Findings showed that, compared to the control group, mentalization-based training significantly increased we-ness, p = .009, partial η² = .24, and significantly reduced couple burnout, p = .003, partial η² = .31. Conclusion: These findings provide preliminary support for the potential value of mentalization-based training in improving relational functioning among married women. However, replication with larger samples and dyadic designs is needed before more general conclusions can be drawn. https://www.behavsci.ir/article_250701.html Introduction: Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychological conditions and are often accompanied by excessive worry and dysfunctional attitudes, which significantly impair daily functioning and interpersonal relationships. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Solution‑Focused Metacognitive Therapy (SF‑MCT) in reducing worry and dysfunctional attitudes in individuals diagnosed with anxiety disorders. Method: This applied, quasi‑experimental study employed a pre‑test, post‑test, and three‑month follow‑up design with experimental and control groups. The statistical population consisted of individuals with anxiety disorders who referred to psychology clinics in Tehran in 2023. A total of 30 participants were selected using purposive sampling and randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. The intervention included six 60‑minute sessions, conducted twice weekly, based on the solution‑focused metacognitive therapy protocol. Data were collected using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ‑A) and the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS‑26). Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) were calculated, and inferential analyses were conducted using Mann–Whitney U test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) at a significance level of p < 0.05 with SPSS version 27. Results: The findings indicated a significant between‑groups effect for worry, with lower scores observed in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Additionally, a significant time × group interaction effect was found for worry (p = 0.024). The between‑groups effect for dysfunctional attitudes was also statistically significant (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that solution‑focused metacognitive therapy is effective in reducing worry and dysfunctional attitudes among individuals with anxiety disorders and may contribute to alleviating anxiety symptoms. https://www.behavsci.ir/article_250703.html Introduction: Somatization in childhood refers to the expression of psychological distress through physical symptoms without an identifiable medical cause. Parental emotion socialization, particularly maternal responses to children's negative emotions, may be associated with these symptoms. This study used a cross-sectional correlational design to examine the association between maternal emotional reactions and somatic complaints in early elementary school children.Method: In this cross-sectional correlational study, 454 mother–child dyads were recruited using multistage cluster sampling from elementary schools in Malayer, Iran. After excluding cases with incomplete data, 429 mother–child dyads were included in the final analyses. Mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Somatic Complaints subscale and the Coping with Children's Negative Emotions Scale (CCNES), which assesses supportive and non-supportive maternal reactions. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression.Results: Non-supportive maternal reactions were positively associated with children's somatic complaints (r = 0.20, p < 0.001). In the regression analysis, only non-supportive reactions were significantly associated with somatic complaints (β = 0.20, p < 0.001), whereas supportive reactions were not (β = −0.01, p = 0.835). The overall model explained 4.1% of the variance in children's somatic complaints (R² = 0.041).Conclusion: Non-supportive maternal reactions showed a modest but statistically significant association with children's somatic complaints, whereas supportive reactions were not significantly associated with somatic complaints. Given the small effect size and the cross-sectional design, the findings should be interpreted cautiously. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the direction and mechanisms of these associations. https://www.behavsci.ir/article_250704.html Introduction: Retaining skilled employees is essential for sustainable organizational success in today’s competitive business environment. This study investigated the impact of cognitive creativity and organizational intelligence on human resource retention, with psychological well-being examined as a mediator. Method: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted in 2025. The statistical population consisted of 547 employees at Mazgroup Company in Tehran, Iran. Using simple random sampling and a priori power analysis (power=0.80, α=0.01), a sample of 327 employees was selected. Data were collected using the Cognitive Creativity Test, the Organizational Intelligence Questionnaire, Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale, and the Employee Retention Questionnaire. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with bootstrapping (5,000 resamples) was employed to test the hypothesized relationships and mediation effects. Results: The findings demonstrated significant positive direct relationships between cognitive creativity, organizational intelligence, and human resource retention (P<0.001). Bootstrapping results confirmed that psychological well-being partially mediated these relationships. Conclusion: Enhancing cognitive creativity and organizational intelligence directly improves employee retention, with psychological well-being serving as a key underlying mechanism. Organizations should prioritize targeted interventions that foster creative thinking, systemic intelligence, and mental health support to strengthen talent retention. https://www.behavsci.ir/article_250721.html Introduction: This study aimed to identify which of the three Baumrind parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive) most strongly predicts children's mental health.Method: This descriptive-correlational study included 286 mothers of female elementary school students (fourth and fifth grades) in Mashhad, Iran. Participants completed the Baumrind Parenting Styles Questionnaire and the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ-28). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and simultaneous multiple regression.Results: Pearson correlation showed a significant positive relationship between authoritative style and mental health (r = 0.16, p < 0.05), and significant negative relationships for authoritarian (r = -0.34, p < 0.01) and permissive (r = -0.13, p < 0.05) styles. Multiple regression revealed that the three styles collectively explained 12.8% of the variance (R² = 0.12, F = 13.65, p < 0.001). Only authoritarian style independently predicted mental health (β = -0.30, p < 0.001). Authoritative (p = 0.179) and permissive (p = 0.174) styles were not significant after controlling for authoritarian style.Conclusion: In multiple regression analysis, only the authoritarian style independently predicted poorer mental health outcomes in children, highlighting it as the primary target for parent-focused interventions.