Original Article
Psychological rehabilitation
Jamal Soureh; Yousef Valipour; Nader Hajloo
Abstract
Background and Objective: Cancer is one of the diseases that requires complex and multidisciplinary treatment; therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of positive thinking training and Meaning and Purpose (MaP) Therapy in promoting post-traumatic growth and psychosocial ...
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Background and Objective: Cancer is one of the diseases that requires complex and multidisciplinary treatment; therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of positive thinking training and Meaning and Purpose (MaP) Therapy in promoting post-traumatic growth and psychosocial adjustment in patients with breast cancer.Method: The current research is a semi-experimental type with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of this research included all breast cancer patients in the Bukan Cancer Patients' Association, 45 people were selected and randomly replaced in three groups: positive thinking training, treatment based on meaning and goal, and the control group. In this research, Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale–Self Report (PAIS-SR) Derogatis (1986) and post-traumatic growth questionnaire by Tedeschi & Calhoun (1996) were used. The experimental groups underwent positive thinking training and treatment based on meaning and goal for 8 weeks and one 45-minute session each week. To analyze the data, the statistical method of multivariate covariance analysis was used using SPSS-27 software.Findings: The results of the present study showed that treatment based on meaning and purpose was more effective than positive thinking training in the post-traumatic growth variable (p<0.001). Also, the results showed that there is no significant difference between the two groups in the variable of psychosocial adjustment (p>0.01).Conclusion: Therefore, to help breast cancer patients, psychological treatments can have positive effects so that by overcoming the existential crisis, they get out of their negative habits and thought patterns and live consciously and meaningfully and discover the hidden meaning in the heart of the suffering caused by cancer.
Original Article
Mental rehabilitation
Seyed Amirhossein Mousavibahar; Fatemeh Alaee Karahroudy; Jamileh Mohtashami; Tayebeh Hasan Tehrani
Abstract
Background and Objective: Sleep problems are among the most common disorders in children with autism, and music therapy has been introduced as a complementary treatment to improve sleep in these children. This study aimed to determine the effect of music therapy on sleep quality in children aged 4–12 ...
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Background and Objective: Sleep problems are among the most common disorders in children with autism, and music therapy has been introduced as a complementary treatment to improve sleep in these children. This study aimed to determine the effect of music therapy on sleep quality in children aged 4–12 years with autism who attended autism centers in Hamadan.Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 64 children aged 4–12 years with autism who attended autism centers in the city of Hamadan. Participants were selected using convenience sampling and randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. Three pieces of music were played each night for a total of 20 nights, 30 minutes before bedtime. Data were collected in both groups before and after the intervention using a demographic questionnaire and the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire developed by Owens, Spirito, and colleagues (2000). Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics with SPSS version 26.Findings: Baseline sleep quality scores before the intervention were comparable between the two groups and showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). Within-group analysis demonstrated a significant improvement in sleep quality in the music therapy group after the intervention (P < 0.05). No significant change in sleep quality was observed in the control group (P > 0.05). Between-group comparisons after the intervention and at the one-month follow-up, even after adjusting for baseline scores using ANCOVA, showed no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05).Conclusion: Music therapy improved sleep quality within the intervention group of children with autism; however, no significant between-group effects were observed after the intervention or at the one-month follow-up. These findings suggest that music therapy may be useful as a complementary intervention for temporary improvement of sleep in this population.
Original Article
Psychological rehabilitation
Fatemeh Behrouzieh; Mohammad Reza Khodabakhsh
Abstract
Background and Objective: Panic disorder, with repeated unexpected attacks of panic and anxiety, disrupts the quality of life in the physical, psychological, social and environmental domains. This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive therapy combined with physical exercises ...
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Background and Objective: Panic disorder, with repeated unexpected attacks of panic and anxiety, disrupts the quality of life in the physical, psychological, social and environmental domains. This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive therapy combined with physical exercises on the quality of life in people with panic symptoms.Method: This study was applied in terms of purpose and quasi-experimental in terms of method (pre-test-post-test design with control group and one-month follow-up period). The research population included all individuals with panic symptoms referring to psychological clinics in Mashhad in 2024. For sampling, two clinics were identified using the convenience method and after administering the Albany Panic and Fear Questionnaire by Barlow and Zinbarg (1996), 30 of the referents were selected as samples and completed the 36-item Health Background Questionnaire (short form). The experimental group underwent ten sessions of 60-minute cognitive behavioral therapy in a group setting along with physical exercises. The data were evaluated using a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance test.Findings: The results showed that the post-test scores of quality of life in the experimental and control groups were significantly different. Cognitive behavioral therapy combined with physical exercises improved the quality of life of people with panic disorder. This improvement continued until the follow-up phase.Conclusion: The results of combining cognitive behavioral therapy and physical exercises to manage panic symptoms emphasize improving the quality of life of sufferers. Therapists and psychologists can use this combined approach to treat people with panic anxiety.
Original Article
Rehabilitation counseling
Farshad Zarei; Farzad Amiri; Nazanin Bashiri; Saadat Taheri
Abstract
Background and Aim: Considering the numerous psychosocial challenges faced by mothers of children with physical disabilities, and the key role of psychological flexibility in adapting to these conditions, the aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of group motivational interviewing on ...
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Background and Aim: Considering the numerous psychosocial challenges faced by mothers of children with physical disabilities, and the key role of psychological flexibility in adapting to these conditions, the aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of group motivational interviewing on increasing psychological flexibility in mothers of students with physical and motor disabilities.Methods: A quasi-experimental study with a pretest–posttest control group design was conducted. The study population consisted of mothers of students with physical-motor disabilities who attended rehabilitation centers and were registered with the Exceptional Education Organization in Kermanshah, Iran over the course of the 2025–2026 academic year. Thirty eligible mothers were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). Data were collected using the Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire developed by Bond et al. (2007). Participants in the experimental group received ten weekly 60-minute sessions of group motivational interviewing, whereas the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS version 26.Findings: The findings indicated that group motivational interviewing significantly improved psychological flexibility among mothers of students with physical-motor disabilities compared with the control group (p<0.05).Conclusion: The results suggest that group motivational interviewing is an effective intervention for enhancing psychological flexibility in mothers of students with physical-motor disabilities. These findings support the application of motivational interviewing in educational, rehabilitation, and clinical settings to promote psychological adjustment and adaptive functioning among caregivers of children with disabilities.
Original Article
Rehabilitation
Mohammad Rostami; Soheila Rostami; Wrya Hafidi; Pardis Rostami
Abstract
Background and Objective: In recent years, spiritual interventions have received increasing attention as complementary approaches in psychosocial rehabilitation and health promotion. The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of E'tekaf (Islamic spiritual retreat) as a spiritual–social ...
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Background and Objective: In recent years, spiritual interventions have received increasing attention as complementary approaches in psychosocial rehabilitation and health promotion. The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of E'tekaf (Islamic spiritual retreat) as a spiritual–social intervention on spiritual well-being and life satisfaction among adults.Materials and Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group and a one-month follow-up phase. The study population consisted of adults aged 18 to 60 years in Sanandaj, Iran, in 2024. A total of 60 participants were selected using convenience sampling. The experimental group (n = 30) comprised individuals who voluntarily participated in the E'tekaf program, whereas the control group (n = 30) consisted of individuals who were either unwilling or unable to participate. The experimental group attended a 10-night spiritual retreat program conducted in mosques. Data were collected using the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (1982) and the Quality-of-Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (1993). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance.Results: The results of repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed significant differences between the experimental and control groups in mean scores of spiritual well-being (F = 24.34, η² = 0.29, p < .01) and life satisfaction (F = 14.17, η² = 0.19, p < .01). Participation in the E'tekaf program led to significant improvements in spiritual well-being and life satisfaction among participants in the experimental group compared with those in the control group. These effects remained stable at the one-month follow-up assessment.Conclusion: The findings suggest that E'tekaf may serve as an effective spiritual–social intervention for psychosocial rehabilitation and the enhancement of quality of life among adults. The development and support of community-based spiritual programs may contribute to strengthening spiritual well-being, increasing life satisfaction, and promoting psychological empowerment.Keywords: I'tikaf, spiritual empowerment, psycho-spiritual rehabilitation, life satisfaction, spiritual well-being.
Original Article
Rehabilitation
Anwar Dastbaz; Banfsheh Youzi; Saifollah Rahmani
Abstract
Background and Objective: Given the established role of adapted sports in promoting the physical and psychological functioning of individuals with visual impairment, evaluating the effectiveness of these interventions remains an important research priority. Accordingly, this study investigated the effects ...
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Background and Objective: Given the established role of adapted sports in promoting the physical and psychological functioning of individuals with visual impairment, evaluating the effectiveness of these interventions remains an important research priority. Accordingly, this study investigated the effects of a goalball-based empowerment program on motor skills, loneliness, and subjective vitality in students with visual impairment.Method: This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest–follow-up design with a control group. The study population comprised all students aged 10–14 years with visual impairment who were registered with the Kurdistan Province Blind and Visually Impaired Association during the 2025–2026 academic year. Using purposive sampling, 30 eligible participants were recruited and randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 15) or the control group (n = 15). The intervention group participated in a 12-session goalball-based empowerment program (two 90-minute sessions per week). Data were collected using the Lincoln–Oseretsky Motor Development Scale, the Loneliness Scale, and the Subjective Vitality Scale. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS version 26.Findings: The results indicated that the goalball-based empowerment program significantly improved motor skills, reduced loneliness, and enhanced mental vitality in the experimental group compared with the control group. These effects remained stable at follow-up. However, the intervention did not have a significant effect on emotional loneliness.Conclusion: The findings suggest that goalball, as a socio-motor intervention, may be an effective approach for improving motor skills, reducing loneliness, and promoting mental vitality.
