Journal of counseling research

The effectiveness of Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on internalized shame students with social anxiety

Parviz porzoor

Objective: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on internalized shame in students with social anxiety.

Methods: The present research method is a semi-experimental pre-test-post-test type with a control group. The statistical population of the research includes all male students with symptoms of social anxiety in the second year of high school in the academic year of ۱۴۰۲-۱۴۰۱ in Ardabil city. 34 people were selected by purposive sampling method after social anxiety test (SPIN) and clinical interview and were divided into two groups of ۱۷ people, experimental and control. The experimental group received the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) protocol of Fleming, Kukowski, and Harris, but the control group did not receive any training. Before and after the treatment sessions, The Internalized Shame Questionnaire (ISS) were used. Data were analyzed by multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance.

Results: The findings indicated a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of internalized shame. The results showed that acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has a significant effect on the initial internalized shame in students with social anxiety (p<۰.۰۵).

Conclusion: Overall, the findings indicate that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy plays a significant role in reducing feelings of internalized shame among students with social anxiety.

The Structural Effect of Insecure Attachment Styles on Symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder in students: The Mediating Roles of Mentalization and Self-Compassion

Mahmoud Najafi

Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the structural effect of insecure attachment styles on body dysmorphic symptoms in students, with the mediating roles of mentalization and self-compassion.
Methods: This research employed a descriptive-correlational method. The statistical population included all first and second grade high school students in Karaj during the 2024–2025 academic year. A sample of 397 students was selected through multistage cluster random sampling. The instruments used included the Fear of Body Image Concern Inventor (Littleton et al., 2005), Attachment Styles Questionnaire (Hazan & Shaver, 1987), Mentalization Scale (Dimitrijević et al., 2018), and the Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003b). Correlation analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were employed for data analysis.
Findings: The results showed that both avoidant (β = 0.15, P = 0.004) and ambivalent (β = 0.16, P = 0.002) dimensions of insecure attachment had a direct and significant effect on body dysmorphic disorder symptoms. Furthermore, the indirect effect of insecure attachment styles, including avoidant (β = 0.199, P = 0.001) and ambivalent (β = 0.218, P = 0.001), on body dysmorphic disorder symptoms through the mediating variables of mentalization and self-compassion was confirmed, and the model demonstrated a good fit.
Conclusion: Based on the findings, insecure attachment styles, by reducing mentalization and self-compassion, contribute to increased body dysmorphic disorder symptoms in students. These results emphasize the necessity of considering mediating variables in clinical and educational interventions related to body dysmorphic disorder. It is suggested that in preventive and therapeutic programs, enhancing mentalization and self-compassion, along with addressing insecure attachment styles, be taken into consideration.

The Narrative of Iranian Adolescents and Young Adults of the 12-Day War: A Qualitative Study in the Family Context

Seyyedeh Fatemeh Mousavi

Studying the psychological state of adolescents during war and the impact of military conflict on their mental health is an undeniable necessity. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of military hostilities in the 12-day war imposed by the Zionist regime on Iran on the psychological state of adolescents and young adults within the family context. This descriptive study employed a qualitative approach using content analysis. A total of 24 unmarried adolescents and young adults (age range 15–24 years; mean±SD = 19.33±2.71), primarily residing in Tehran province, participated virtually in a structured interview. Responses were analyzed across six domains: interpretation and perception of war, expression of emotions and psychological/behavioral reactions, coping with one's own reactions and those of others, family reactions, and future evaluation under the influence of war. In total, 23 general categories and 56 subcategories were extracted. Findings indicated that adolescents' perception of war could be examined in three categories: personal interpretation, identity-based, and value-based. Their psychological-behavioral reactions included hypervigilance, mood disturbances, ambivalent emotions, habituation and normalization, and self-resilience. Coping with reactions emerged in three patterns: distancing from reality, active psychological reactions, and spiritual reactions. Families responded through inaction, distancing, anxiety, active reactions, and spiritual responses. Future evaluation was categorized into five themes: self and socially oriented behaviors, unpredictable future, continuation of normal life routines, and perceived negative consequences. In conclusion, war as a critical and traumatic phenomenon is interpretable within the national-religious-historical identity context of each culture.

Evaluation of the Marital Burnout Model Based on Attachment Styles Considering the Mediating Role of Emotional Literacy in Divorce-Seeking Women

Ebrahim Namani

Aim: The present study aimed to examine the mediating role of emotional literacy in the relationship between attachment styles and marital burnout among women applying for divorce. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on all divorce-seeking women who referred to counseling clinics in Sabzevar during the winter of 2024. A total of 205 women were selected through convenience sampling. The research instruments included the Pines Marital Burnout Questionnaire (CBM) (1996), the Emotional Literacy Subscale from the Iranian Family Psychological Functioning Scale (IFPFS) by Kimiaee et al. (2012), and the Hazan and Shaver Attachment Styles Questionnaire (ASQ) (1987). Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with Smart PLS software. Finding: Findings indicated that secure attachment style had a direct and negative effect on marital burnout (p-value < 0.05), while avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles had no direct impact (p-value > 0.05). Furthermore, emotional literacy significantly mediated the relationship between secure and ambivalent attachment styles and marital burnout (p-value < 0.05), but this mediating role was not confirmed for avoidant attachment style (p-value > 0.05). Conclusion: The results demonstrated that secure and ambivalent attachment styles can contribute to reducing marital burnout through enhancing emotional literacy, whereas the avoidant attachment style does not play such a role. Accordingly, emphasizing the education and strengthening of emotional literacy in couple therapy interventions and preventive programs may serve as an effective strategy for reducing marital burnout

The Mediating Role of Meaning in Life and Loneliness in Suicidal Ideation Following Romantic Breakdowns

Zahra Jahanbakhshi

Objective: Suicidal ideation is a significant public health concern influenced by various factors. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between romantic breakup and suicidal ideation, with the mediating roles of loneliness and meaning in life.
Method: This study employed a correlational descriptive design using structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of all students residing in Tehran, aged 18 to 35 years. A sample of 424 participants was selected through convenience sampling. The instruments included the Romantic Breakup Questionnaire (Rosse, 1999), Suicidal Ideation Scale (Beck et al., 1979), Meaning in Life Questionnaire (Steger et al., 2006), and Loneliness Scale (DiTommaso et al., 2004). Data analysis was conducted using SEM with SPSS and AMOS software.
Findings: The results indicated that the data fit the proposed model well, and all direct and indirect paths were significant. Romantic breakup had a direct positive effect on suicidal ideation (β = 0.15) and on loneliness (β = 0.46), and a direct negative effect on meaning in life (β = -0.20). Meaning in life had a negative direct effect on suicidal ideation (β = -0.22), while loneliness had a positive direct effect on suicidal ideation (β = 0.29). The indirect effects were also significant through the mediation of meaning in life (95% CI [0.02, 0.08]) and loneliness (95% CI [0.09, 0.18]) on suicidal ideation.
Conclusion: Part of the impact of romantic breakup on suicidal ideation is exerted through changes in loneliness and meaning in life. Interventions focusing on strengthening social bonds and encouraging participation in meaningful activities may help reduce the risk of suicide among individuals who have experienced a romantic breakup.

Prediction of suicidal ideation based on self-worth, fear of intimacy and covert relational aggression in women with marital infidelity experience

tahereh nouri

Objective: This research was conducted with the aim of predicting suicidal ideation based on self-worth, fear of intimacy and covert communication aggression in women who have experienced marital infidelity.Method: This study employed a descriptive-correlational research design, focusing on the correlation between variables. The target population consisted of married women who had experienced marital infidelity by their spouses and attended counseling and psychotherapeutic centers in Tehran during the year 1402. Using purposeful sampling, a total of 150 participants were selected. Results: The results showed that there is a negative and significant correlation between the feeling of self-worth (r=-0.47 and P<0.005) and its components with suicidal ideation in women who have experienced marital infidelity. This relationship was positive and significant between fear of intimacy (r=0.21 and P<0.008) and covert communicative aggression (r=0.40 and P<0.002) with suicidal ideation in women, respectively. Also, the regression analysis showed that the highest and lowest ability to explain suicidal ideation in women is related to the component of emotional withdrawal (β=0.42) and the components of piety/piousness (β=0.09). β) and ruining the social image (β=0.09).