Journal of counseling research

Psychological Predictors of Childbearing Intention in Couples: A Systematic Review

Davud Nodehi

Aim: Childbearing is a key element in demographic transitions and a cornerstone of sustainable development, particularly for countries experiencing below-replacement fertility. In Iran, the decline in fertility rates has prompted new pro-natalist policies. Accordingly, this study systematically identifies the psychological predictors associated with childbearing intention based on research conducted over the past decade. Method: This study employed a systematic review of the PubMed, Scopus, SID, and Magiran databases. Both Persian and English studies published between 2016 and 2026 that focused on psychological predictors of childbearing intention were included. The search was conducted using a combination of standard keywords related to childbearing intention and psychological factors. The search, screening, and final article selection processes were carried out independently by two reviewers. Findings: Based on the inclusion criteria, 38 studies were selected for review and analysis, and two main categories of psychological factors related to increased childbearing intention (including positive attitudes and norms toward parenting, perceived self-efficacy, marital satisfaction, familial emotional support, positive personality constructs, and identity motives) and psychological factors related to decreased childbearing intention (including negative attitudes and emotions, future anxiety and parenting anxiety, dysfunctional beliefs, individualism, and welfare-seeking) were extracted with 12 subcategories. Conclusion: The findings showed that psychological factors related to decreased childbearing intention dominate over factors related to increased childbearing intention and weaken childbearing intention. Designing interventional strategies and psychological trainings to increase motivation, instill hope, reduce cognitive and emotional problems, and implementing evidence-based government supportive policies and programs are recommended.

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

investigate the mediating role of communication skills in the relationship between phubbing and romantic relationships among couples

arefeh kiani

Aim: This research aimed to investigate the mediating role of communication skills in the relationship between phubbing and romantic relationships among couples in the city of Neka.
Method: The research method was descriptive, correlational, with a structural equation modeling approach. The statistical population included all couples in the city of Neka, of whom 150 couples were selected as the sample using convenience sampling. To collect the research data, the Communication Skills Questionnaire by Barton (1998), the Phubbing Questionnaire by Chotpitayasoontorn and Douglas (2018), and the Romantic Relationships Questionnaire by Attree et al. (1998) were used. SPSS software was used for data analysis, and SmartPLS software was used to examine the model fit.
Findings: The results of the data analysis showed that the conceptual model of the research has a good and desirable fit. Phubbing has a significant negative effect on romantic relationships, phubbing has a significant negative effect on communication skills, and communication skills have a significant positive effect on romantic relationships. Furthermore, communication skills mediate the relationship between phubbing and romantic relationships.
Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that communication skills and phubbing are effective factors in couples’ relationships, and it is necessary for family researchers to pay serious attention to these two variables.

The Cycle of Hope and Despair: Fluctuating Experiences of Suicidal Ideation among University Students during a Semester of Escalating Iran-U.S. Tensions

marieh abdolghaderi

Abstract T his study explores the cycle of hope and despair by examining the fluctuating experiences of suicidal ideation among university students over the course of an academic semester during escalating tensions between Iran and the United States. The study aimed to understand the dynamic and context-dependent nature of suicidal thoughts in relation to personal pressures, the academic structure, and broader social crises. Using a descriptive phenomenological design based on Colaizzi's seven-step method, data from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with eleven students were analyzed. Seven major themes emerged: the collapse of the sense of security, the accumulation of psychological stress, the oscillating cycle of hope and despair, suicidal ideation as a language of helplessness, political crisis as a qualitative amplifier of distress, protective factors, and existential rethinking. The findings indicate that suicidal ideation is not a static phenomenon but a cyclical experience profoundly shaped by the interaction between personal pressures and broader threats. These findings highlight the need to reconsider university screening systems by moving beyond cross-sectional assessments toward longitudinal, context-sensitive, and multilevel approaches. Clinical interventions should extend beyond symptom-focused assessment to understand the internal logic of entrapment, monitor fluctuations in suicide risk over time, and facilitate

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).

Effectiveness of Communication Skills Training based on the Sahmgozari approach in Enhancing Problem-Solving Ability and Family Intimacy among Married Female Employees

Zahra Amanollahi

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of communication skills training based on the Share-Giving approach on problem‑solving skills and family intimacy. This research was applied in purpose and employed a quasi‑experimental design with a pretest–posttest and control group. The statistical population consisted of married employees in Tehran, and the sample included 40 employees of Tehran Water Organization who were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups (20 participants in each group). Research instruments included the Family Intimacy Questionnaire developed by Walker and Thompson (1983), the Problem‑Solving Inventory by Heppner and Petersen (1982), and the Share‑Giving Lifestyle Questionnaire developed by Esmaeili et al. (2023). The experimental group received a ten‑session training program on communication skills based on the Share‑Giving approach, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS‑27. The results indicated that, after controlling for pretest scores, Share‑Giving‑based communication skills training led to a significant improvement in problem‑solving skills and family intimacy in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). The obtained effect size also demonstrated a strong impact of the intervention. Overall, the findings suggest that the Share‑Giving approach—beyond teaching surface‑level communication techniques—enhances problem‑solving and intimacy by redefining individuals’ roles in relationships and strengthening responsibility and agency. It is recommended that this approach be incorporated into family education and counseling programs, and be considered by policymakers and professionals in the field of family health.

Children in the Shadow of War: Exploring the Consequences of War and Coping Strategies from Parents’ Lived Experiences with descriptive phenomenological approach

Maryam Solgi

Objective: War conditions may affect young children's experiences across emotional, cognitive, and behavioral domains. Despite the importance of this issue, direct research on parents'experiences of emotional and behavioral changes in children under six years of age during wartime remains limited. The present study aimed to understand parents' lived experiences of the emotional and behavioral states of children under six years of age in the context of war-related tension and crisis and to identify the dimensions of this experience.
Method: This study was conducted using a descriptive phenomenological approach. Participants were 16 parents of children under six years of age who had experienced the war-related crisis and were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step phenomenological analysis method.
Results: Analysis of parents' lived experiences indicated that young children's experiences of war-related tension and crisis were multidimensional and were reflected in emotional, cognitive, and behavioral domains. The core theme was identified as “Consequences and the Process of Adaptation to War Crisis in Children.” This core theme comprised seven main themes: “the context in which the child's experience is formed,” “emotional arousal and insecurity,” “the child's efforts to seek security,” “the reflection of war in children's cognition and meaning-making,” “the reflection of war in children's behavior and play,” “the influence of parents' responses on the child's experience,”and “adaptation and return to normalcy.” Overall, one core theme, seven main themes, and 21 subthemes were identified.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that young children's experience of war crisis is a multidimensional process that begins with their exposure to the consequences of war and is manifested through fear and worry, sensitivity to sounds, feelings of danger and threat, increased need for parental presence, questions about war and death, changes in sleep and daily activities, and changes in play.

The effectiveness of self-Awareness of Vocational Interests Base on True Colors Model on the Career Indecision

Rezvan Salehi Najafabadi

Aim: The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of teaching self-awareness of desires based on the theory of true colors on the indecision of a career path among ninth graders. Method: The research was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group and a one-month follow-up phase. The statistical population included all ninth grade male students in the second secondary schools of Isfahan city in the academic year 1400-1401.The statistical sample consisted of 44 students who were selected by the available method and randomly assigned to experimental (22 people) and control (22 people) groups. The experimental group underwent seven 90-minute sessions of self-awareness training based on true color theory, and the control group remained on the waiting list. The data collection tool included the career indecision questionnaire by Esipo, Karani and Barak (1976). In order to review and analyze the data, SPSS23 statistical software and variance analysis of repeated measures were used. Results: The obtained results showed that the self-awareness education interventions based on the true colors theory it has been effective in reducing the indecision of their career path and the effects of these interventions in the indecision of the career path remained in the follow-up stage (p<0.05). Conclusion: According to the findings of this research, it can be said that teaching self-awareness of desires based on the theory of true colors is a suitable method to overcome the indecision of the career path for ninth grade male students.