ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Original Research

Authors

Mehri Nejad   S.A. (*)
Ramezan Saatchi   L. (1)






(*) Psychology Department, Educational Sciences & Psychology Faculty, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
(1) Clinical Psychology Department, Psychology and Educational Sciences Faculty, Shahid Chamran University, Ahwaz, Iran

Correspondence

Address: Factually of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran Province, Vanak Village Street, Tehran, Iran
Phone: +98 (21) 85692294
Fax: +98 (21) 85692294
ab_mehrinejad@yahoo.com

Article History

Received:  May  5, 2016
Accepted:  August 10, 2016
ePublished:  August 31, 2016

BRIEF TEXT


War as a high stressful factor has economic, social, cultural, and psychological consequences that have significant impact on different aspects of human life and community members’ relation during generations [1].

… [2-11]. Researchers have shown that mindfulness training is effective in helping patients dealing with difficult emotions [12]. … [13-26].

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of training mindfulness based on cognitive therapy on veterans` wives with depression, anger and emotion on the emotional regulation.

This study is semi-experimental with pretest and posttest.

This study was conducted on 360 veteran`s wives living in Tehran.

60 persons who had obtained scored 22 and higher in Beck Depression questionnaire and at the same time complained repeated outrage and whose depression and anger was confirmed in clinical interview, were selected based on purposive sampling and randomly assigned to control and experimental group (n=30 in each group). Included criteria were having at least primary school education level and at most associate degree, age range of 35-50 years, lack of employment, having a veteran husband and child and consent to participate in therapy sessions. Exclusion criteria were absence of more than two sessions of therapy.

The research instruments were, Spielberger State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Spielberger State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2): This questionnaire is 57-item tool and includes six scales, five subscales, and an anger expression index that provides an aggregate measure of anger expression and control. STAXI-2 scale includes anger state, anger trait, anger expression, anger introjection, and anger expression controlling, and anger introjection controlling. Also, two subscales related to anger traits are anger temperament and anger reaction. Scale of anger state has three components of sense of anger, a sense of urgency to the word of anger and a sense of urgency to the physical expression of anger [27]. For standardization and psychometric properties, this questionnaire was conducted by Spielberg [28] on 1644 normal adults and 276 psychiatric patients. The summary of information in practical guide of this test shows that the Cronbach`s alpha coefficient for scales and subscales of anger state and trait has been equal or higher than 0.84 (averaging 0.88) and it has been 0.73 for the scales of anger expression and anger control and total anger (averaging 0.82). Therefore, alpha coefficients as measures of internal consistency, have been satisfied for different components of STAXI-2. The evidences provided by various studies that have been inferred in the practical guide of STAXI-2, shows that this questionnaire has the satisfactory validity. Beck Depression Inventory (Second ed.): Like the first edition, this questionnaire is composed of 21 items that the subject should select one of four option for each item that shows his/her severity of depressive symptoms on their own. Each item is scored between zero to 3 and the total score ranges from zero to 63. This scale is a standardized instrument for measuring the severity of depressive symptoms and its validity and reliability have been confirmed in multiple studies. Beck et al. have reported the internal consistency of score based on Cronbach alpha from 0.73 to 0.92 and its test-retest reliability from 0.48 to 0.86. The correlation coefficient of Beck Depression Scale with Hamilton Psychiatric Rating Scale for Depression is 0.73 [29]. Besharat and Shahidi have reported the Cronbach`s alpha coefficient of Beck Depression Scale for a sample of normal subject was 0.85 to 0.92 and it was 0.83 to 0.91 for patient subjects that shows the good internal consistency of this questionnaire. Correlation coefficients among the scores of some of normal and patient subjects for test-retest reliability was 0.81 and 0.79 respectively [30]. Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS): This scale is a self-reported indicator for the evaluation of difficulties in emotional regulation and has 36 statements and 6 subscales (emotional responses rejection, difficulties in undertaking purposeful behavior, impulse control difficulties, lack of emotional awareness, limited access to emotional regulation strategies and lack of emotional clarity). This scale has high internal consistency (α=0.93) and in relation to the validity, the investigation shows that it has high construct validity and is a predictive marker for this scale. The internal consistency of translated form to the Persian has been investigated. The results of this study shows the high internal consistency for the total scale and for the subscales of rejection 0.75, purposes 0.74, impulse 0.76, awareness 0.63, strategies 0.74, and clarity 0.85 in an Iranian population [31]. All the participants were asked to participate in the research project and by answering the self-analyzing questions, cooperate with the researcher. The samples were placed into control and experimental groups. Pretest was administrated in both groups and the independent variable was applied in the experimental group. The experimental group received 10 sessions over a period of 10 weeks and every week a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy session based on teaching content and specified exercises were hold for them (Table 1). Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and multivariate analysis of covariance.

The mean age of the experimental group was 50.00±3.30 years and it was 50.00±3.60 for the control group. Also, in the experimental group, 15 had primary school education, 7 had diploma, and 8 had associate degree and in the control group, 13 had primary school education, 9 had diploma and 8 had associate degree. The mean scores of the overall index to express anger, depression and a general indicator of difficulties in emotional regulation by inhibiting the effect of pretest had significant difference between the control and experimental group in the posttest stage and therapeutic intervention significantly decreased the mean scores of this variable (p<0.001, Table 2).

… [32-37]. The results of this study were in consistency with the results of finding in the study of Kazemini et al. [20], Dibelvand [37] and Polizi [38]. … [39-41].

It is recommended that in the future studies, larger and more comprehensive samples being used to generalize the results with more certainty. Also, administrating the follow-up long interval tests for evaluating the retention of therapy treatment.

Among the limitations of this study is that the study was conducted on a sample of women and there is difficulty in generalizing the results to men samples. Also, lack of identification and controlling the effective activities which might affect the experimental group out of the experimental condition such as individual and family consultation, medical treatment, etc. can be mentioned as another limitation of this study.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy as a short-term exercise can simultaneously reduce depression, anger and emotion regulation difficulties in veterans` wives.

All the veteran`s wives who helped us in this study, especially those who regularly participated in the therapy sessions as well as Consulting Center of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs are appreciated.

Non-declared

All participants in the study had consent to participate in this study and the conditions for maintaining the confidentiality of participants` information were met.

This study has been conducted by the authors` financial credits in the Consultation Center of the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs in Tehran.

TABLES and CHARTS

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