Journal of counseling research

Investigating the relationship between sexual dissatisfaction and marital conflicts with psychological distress with the mediating role of addiction to mobile-based social networks

Ahmad Amani

Abstract
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between sexual dissatisfaction and marital conflicts with psychological distress with the mediating role of addiction to mobile-based social networks among married teachers in Qazvin province.
Methods: The current research method is correlation and path analysis type. The statistical population of this study included all married male and female teachers in Qazvin city in 1403. The research sample consisted of 350 married teachers, who were selected by the available sampling method and used the questionnaire of psychological distress by Kessler et al. (2002), addiction to mobile-based social networks by Ahmadi et al. (1400) and marital conflict questionnaire (1387) answered.
Findings: Examining the path coefficients showed that the effect of marital conflict (β=0.299 and P=0.001) and sexual dissatisfaction (β=0.574 and P=0.001) has a positive and direct effect on psychological distress. Determining the significance of the indirect effect also indicates that addiction to mobile-based social networks plays a mediating role between marital conflict and sexual dissatisfaction with psychological distress (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Therefore, considering the role of social media addiction in creating psychological distress, it is necessary to include social media addiction in the process of forming the content of intervention programs whose goal is to treat psychological distress.

Evaluation the level of depression, anxiety and general health of mothers with Induced abortion, according to the variables, the number of current children in the family and the length of time since marriage, in relation to the rate of abortion

fahimeh fadakar davarani

Aim: Abortion is a complex issue that, in addition to the belief and sexual dimensions, is related to cultural and psychological issues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the rate of depression, anxiety and general health of mothers with induced abortion according to the variables of the number of current children in the family and the length of time of marriage in relation to the rate of abortion. Methods: This correlational study was performed with the participation of 300 women with at least one induced abortion using purposive sampling and Beck Depression Inventory, Cattell Anxiety and General Health questionnairs. Data analysis was performed by one way variation analysis.finding: The findings of the research indicate the relationship of some investigated components with depression and anxiety and general health.conclusion: The results of one-way analysis of variance showed that there was a significant difference between the levels of independent variables (number of children) in the mean scores of depression, anxiety and general health and the components of physical symptoms and anxiety symptoms.Also, the results of X² showed that there is a significant relationship between the variable levels of "duration of marriage" and the rate of abortion.

The relationship between emotional alexithymia and marital instability: The moderating role of communication patterns

Roya Rasouli

Marital instability has been one of the most important challenges for families in the last half century. Objective: The objective of the present study is to investigate the relationship between emotional alexithymia and marital instability: the moderating role of communication patterns. Method: The present study was descriptive-correlational and conducted using structural equation modeling. The statistical population of this study was all married men and women in Gotvand County, Khuzestan Province, from which 203 people were selected as samples using convenience sampling. In order to measure the research variables, the Christensen and Solvay Communication Patterns Questionnaire (1985), Edwards and Booth Marital Instability (1987), and the Toronto Emotional Alexithymia Questionnaire (1997) were used. SPSS 24 and Smart Pls3 software were used to analyze the statistical data.
Findings: The results of the study showed that there is a significant positive relationship between the communication pattern of mutual avoidance, expectation/withdrawal, and emotional alexithymia and marital instability, and the relationship between the mutual constructive communication pattern, emotional alexithymia and marital instability is negative and significant; the results also showed that the mutual constructive and mutual avoidance communication patterns play a moderating role in the relationship between emotional alexithymia and marital instability, while the communication pattern of expectation/withdrawal does not play a moderating role in this relationship (p001).
Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, training and acquiring a constructive communication pattern by couples, given the significant relationship between emotional alexithymia and marital instability, can have a moderating role in reducing divorce rates.

Comparing the Effectiveness of Positive-Oriented Psychotherapy With Schema Therapy on the tendency to divorce and marital interactions in Couples Applying for Divorce

Sayed Ali Marashi

Aim: The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy and schema therapy on divorce tendency and marital interactions among couples seeking divorce with less than five years of marital life.
Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with two intervention groups (positive psychotherapy and schema therapy) and one control group, conducted in three phases: pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. The statistical population included all couples with less than five years of marriage who referred to counseling centers in Ahvaz in 2023 for divorce proceedings. A total of 45 couples were selected through purposive sampling and were randomly assigned to three groups (15 couples in each group). The control group received no intervention. The positive psychotherapy group participated in eight 90-minute treatment sessions, and the schema therapy group received seven 90-minute intervention sessions. Data were collected using the Divorce Tendency Scale developed by Rosset et al. (1986) and the Marital Interaction Stability Questionnaire designed by Gottman (1999). Data analysis was performed using ANCOVA and repeated-measures ANOVA in SPSS.
Findings: The findings indicated that both schema therapy and positive psychotherapy were effective in reducing divorce tendency and improving marital interactions in couples seeking divorce during the post-test and follow-up phases (p < .001). Positive psychotherapy was more effective than schema therapy in enhancing marital interactions among couples with less than five years of marriage (p < .001). However, schema therapy showed greater effectiveness than positive psychotherapy in reducing divorce tendency (p < .01).
Conclusion: The results demonstrated that positive psychotherapy, by enhancing positive emotions and increasing intimacy, is more effective in improving marital interactions.

Conceptual pattern of maladjustment factors of adolescents in blended families based on grounded theory

Eghbal Zarei

Aim: Families are configured in many forms. The blended family is one of the types of family structures that affects the psychological well-being of adolescents. The present study was conducted to present a conceptual pattern of the factors of maladjustment of boy adolescents in blended families based on the conditions and consequences of the grounded theory. Method: This research was conducted using a qualitative method based on grounded theory in 2023. The target population in this study was adolescent boys aged 13 to 18 in blended families and studying in three educational regions of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces. 12 boy students were selected purposefully. The research tool was a semi-structured interview. The data were analyzed using the Strauss and Corbin coding method. Findings: The coding of interview data led to identifying 81 open codes, 24 central codes, and 6 main classes about the factors of maladjustment of boy adolescents in blended families. The results showed that "lack of secure attachment", as a central category, plays a role in the maladjustment of adolescent boys in blended families. This category is affected by causal factors (The ups and downs of life), contextual factors (cultural conditions and background ), and intervening factors (characteristics of the stepfamily and the quality of interpersonal relationships). Also, the strategies used in the face of the lack of secure attachment include some defense mechanisms (idealization, daydreaming, taking refuge in the smartphone/virtual space, emotional cut-off), which ultimately lead to consequences such as academic and psychological problems in adolescent boys in blended families. Conclusion: What makes adolescents in blended families prone to maladaptive behaviors is not only the conditions of the blended families, but also stressful events caused by previous family conditions and the characteristics of the adolescent period, in combination with the conditions of the blended family.

Perception of counselors of university counseling centers about their role in preventing the use of psychoactive substances in students

Fatemeh Jalali

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of university counseling center counselors regarding their role in preventing substance abuse among students. Method: This research adopted a qualitative approach and used thematic analysis. The research population consisted of counselors from university counseling centers. The sample group included 13 experienced counselors in the field of addiction from the counseling centers of universities in Tehran, Allameh Tabatabai, Alzahra, Sharif University of Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran University of Science and Technology, Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi University, University of Isfahan, University of Esfahan, University of Tabriz, University of Gilan, University of Shiraz, and Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. The sampling method used was purposeful sampling. Data related to the research question were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings: After analyzing the interviews and coding them, 30 sub-themes and 9 main themes were extracted, including: counselors' attention to risk factors, awareness-raising for students, awareness-raising for influential individuals in relation to students, preventive education, therapeutic interventions based on professional frameworks, counselors' attention to facilitative components in prevention, the effective capacity of universities in prevention, effective barriers to counselors' attention to prevention, and the role of community-based factors in prevention. Conclusion: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that although counselors at university counseling centers focus on awareness-raising activities and skill-building, they are more focused on therapeutic roles and secondary and tertiary prevention, and regard other factors as more effective in primary prevention. Therefore, university counseling centers need to be more effective in primary prevention and take further steps in this area. It is essential for higher authorities to develop a comprehensive program and organize training courses for counselors in this regard for all universities.

Exploring Vocational Interest Assessment Tools in Iran: A Scoping Review

Rezvan Salehi

Abstract
Finding vocational interest assessment tools that possess both desirable psychometric properties and relevance to contemporary developments constitutes a current challenge in Iran.
Objective: The purpose of this scoping review was to compile a comprehensive inventory of vocational interest assessment tools available in Iran whose psychometric properties have been examined.
Method: To this end, a total of 52 articles were extracted from the Civilica, Comprehensive Portal of Humanities, Noormags, MagIran, and SID databases. The article selection process was conducted based on the PRISMA-ScR flow diagram, and following the screening process, 12 sample articles (published between 1377 and 1397) were selected.
Findings: The analyses revealed that most vocational interest assessment tools in Iran have been developed based on Holland’s interest structure and Tracy’s spherical model.
Conclusion: Furthermore, in examining the psychometric properties of these instruments, emphasis has been primarily placed on internal structure validity and internal consistency reliability; however, no instrument based on Iranian indigenous culture has been developed to date. Future research is essential to address existing gaps in validity evidence for vocational interest assessment tools in Iran.