ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Original Research

Authors

Kiyani   M. (* )
Shirvani   T. (1 )
Khandan   E. (2 )






(* ) Sports Management Department, Physical Education Faculty, Bu-Ali- Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
(1 ) Physical Education Department, Human Sciences Faculty, Tarbiat ModaresUniversity, Tehran, Iran
(2 ) Physical Education Department, Human Sciences Faculty, Shawl Center, Islamic Azad University, Ghazvin, Iran

Correspondence

Article History

Received:  March  14, 2014
Accepted:  June 4, 2014
ePublished:  July 20, 2014

BRIEF TEXT


Bowen has discussed self-differentiation, which is a psychological construction [1]. The main aim of self-differentiation is to establish balance between emotions and cognitions [2]. ‏…[3-5] Based on family systems theory, there is poor logical behavior among persons with low self-differentiation, experiencing more anxiety [6]. Since performance disorders and anxiety are some of the mental unhealthy components, self-differentiation seems to be associated with mental health. Mental health is the base of persons and society’s welfare and health [7]. … [8, 9]

… [10] It has been shown that self-differentiation training is effective on anxiety reduction children of divorced families [11, 12, … 13, 14, 15]. … [16] There are, also, some conducted studies on the reason of low mental health among wives of the veterans. It has been stated that mental health levels of the veterans’ wives is low and is also different according to their husbands’ injury types [17]. There is a difference between mental health of athlete-disabled persons and other disabled persons, showing better mental health among the athlete persons, than other disabled persons [18].

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between self-differentiation and mental health in veterans and disabled persons.

This is a descriptive-correlational study.

200 female and male athlete veterans and disabled persons including 125 disabled persons and 75 veterans of Chaharmohal and Bakhtiari Province (Iran) were studied in 2013.

Due to the limitation of sample size, all the persons were selected as samples. They completed the questionnaires.

Two questionnaires were used to collect data. The Differentiation of Self Inventory (DSI), which was made by Skowron and Friedlander [19] and normalized by Skian [20] in Tehran, Iran. This questionnaire has been graded by 6-point Likert’s scale; and it is compounded of ‘emotional reactivity’, ‘my position’, ‘emotional cutoff’, and ‘fusion with others’ subscales. Using Cronbach’s Alpha, the questionnaire’s reliability was computed 0.82. Goldberg’s General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), which has been designed to screen non-psychotic mental disorders in health centers and society [21]. In the present study, 28-question form made by Goldberg and Hiller was used. The questionnaire contains ‘physical symptom’, ‘insomnia and anxiety symptom’, ‘social performance disorder symptom’, and ‘depression symptom’ secondary scales with 7 questions. For each person, the total score is computed through sum of the scores of the four secondary scales [21]. In the present study, via Cronbach’s Alpha Method, the questionnaire’s credibility for each scale, including physical, insomnia and anxiety, social performance disorder, and depression symptoms, as well as for the whole questionnaire, was computed 0.87, 0.73, 0.77, 0.89, and 0.83, respectively. Data were analyzed, using statistical indices and methods including frequency, average, standard deviation, Pearson Correlation Coefficient (between mental health and self-differentiation, and their sub-scales), and simultaneous multiple regression analysis (in order to evaluate mental health and its sub-scales as criterion variable, as well as self-differentiation with its subscales as predicator variables), by SPSS 21 software.

The averages of total scores of self-differentiation and mental health questionnaires in veterans and disabled persons were 149.81±29.99 and61.41±20.62, respectively. There was a significant and direct correlation between self-differentiation and ‘my position’ sub-scale on the one hand, and mental health and its subscales on the other hand. In addition, there was a significant and reverse correlation between emotional reactivity, emotional cutoff, and fusion with others, and mental health and its sub-scales (Table 1). Based on results of simultaneous multiple regression analysis, 32% of physical symptoms variance, 47% of anxiety and sleep disorders variance, 39% of social performance disorder variance, 44% of depression symptoms variance, and 50% of mental health variance were explained via self-differentiation and its sub-scales.

Results of the present study showed positive and significant correlation between self-differentiation and mental health which is consistent with results of some other studies [14, 15] and with principles of Bowen’s theory [10]. … [22] According to the results of the present study, there was a significant and direct correlation between ‘my position’ and mental health, which is consistent with the results of another study [23]. There is a consistency between results of this study and some other studies [1, 5], regarding significant and reverse correlation between ‘emotional reactivity’, ‘emotional cutoff’, and ‘fusion with others’ on the one hand, and mental health on the other hand. According to the results; the more self-differentiation, the more mental health. This finding is consistent with results of some other studies [13, 19], and with Bowen’s theory [10].

Self-differentiation training effectiveness on other mental health problems of veterans and disabled persons ought to be assessed. In addition, it is suggested that the association between self-differentiation and various mental health variables be assessed, so that disabled persons and veterans can play important roles in decision-making and servicing.

Lack of control on some intervening variables, as well as some disabled persons and veterans’ rejection of participation in the study, due to their unawareness of need for self-differentiation, were limitations for the study.

With rise in the veterans and disabled persons’ self-differentiation, their mental health rises.

The researchers feel grateful to all persons who were participated in the study.

Non-declared

Non-declared

The researchers themselves funded the study.

TABLES and CHARTS

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