This study aimed to evaluate quality of life and psychological distress in Iranian women with recurrent miscarriage and to compare it in women without miscarriage. This was a comparative study of quality of life among women with and without recurrent miscarriage. Cases were selected from patients with complain of recurrent miscarriage and comparison group were selected from women attending to two teaching hospitals for annual screening. Quality of life (QOL) was measured using the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). In addition the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used to measure anxiety and depression. Comparison was made between two groups using the independent samples t-test and chi-square. In all 105 women with recurrent miscarriage and 105 healthy women were studied. The socio-demographic status for both groups was similar. Women with recurrent miscarriage showed a significant higher degree of psychological distress [mean (SD) anxiety score was: 10.6 (2.3) vs. 9.1 (2.2), P < 0.0001; and mean (SD) depression score was: 11.0 (2.3) vs. 9.5 (1.9), P < 0.0001]. In addition women with recurrent miscarriage reported significantly lower level of quality of life in all domains (role physical, general health, vitality, social functioning, role emotional, and mental health, all P values < 0.0001), except for physical functioning (P = 0.06) and bodily pain (P = 0.17). The findings demonstrated that women with recurrent miscarriage reported extensive functional disability, and lower level of well-being compared to women without recurrent miscarriage. The findings have some implications for prenatal care and suggest that appropriate treatment of recurrent miscarriage is essential.

Background: Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD) is a distressing condition linked to menopause. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and contributing factors for FSD among postmenopausal women. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. A convenience sample of postmenopausal women attending a gynecology clinic in a teaching hospital affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences was enrolled into the study. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was used to assess sexual function. In addition, demographic and psychosocial information were recorded. The association between sexual function and anxiety and depression were examined to explore the data. Results: In all 162 postmenopausal women were studied. We performed general linear regression analysis to assess the relationship between sexual function and anxiety while including demographic variables in the model. The results showed that the model could explain about 46% of the variance observed in sexual function (adjusted R² = 0.467). The analysis indicated that among independent variables, age (p < 0.001), sexual frequency (p < 0.001), and anxiety (p = 0.003) were significant contributing factors associated with sexual function. A similar analysis evaluating the relationship between sexual function and depression in menopausal women found that age (p < 0.001), sexual frequency (p < 0.001), and depression (p = 0.003), were significant contributing factors associated with sexual function; explaining about 46% of the variance observed (adjusted R² = 0.466). Conclusion: The findings showed that nearly half of menopausal women had sexual dysfunction in this convenience sample of women seeking gynecologic care. Women reporting sexual dysfunction also reported a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression. Indeed, recognition of such factors requires a holistic therapeutic approach to sexual dysfunction among postmenopausal women.

Background: The Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Adults (SAQ-A30) is a newly developed instrument for measuring social anxiety. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the SAQ-A30 in Iran. Methods: The English version of the SAQ-A30 was translated into Persian using forward-backward procedure. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of university students. In addition they completed two other standard questionnaires namely the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation-Straightforward version (BFNE-S) and the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN). Validity was assessed using discriminant analysis, and explanatory factor analysis. In addition the correlation between SAQ-A30, the BFNE-S, and the SPIN was assessed to examine convergent validity. Finally the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to examine internal consistency. Results: In all 299 students took part in the study. The mean age of participants was 23.6 (SD = 4.2) years. The analysis showed that the SAQ-A30 discriminated well between men and women where women significantly scored higher than male respondents as expected (P = 0.003). The exploratory factor analysis revealed a five-factor structure for the questionnaire that jointly explained 53.3% of variance observed. The results from convergent validity showed significant correlation between the SAQ-A30, the SPIN (r = 0.66, P < 0.001), and the BFNE-S (r = 0.5, P < 0.01). The internal consistency (to assess reliability) was satisfactory (Cronbach^’s alpha coefficient = 0.92). Conclusion: The preliminary findings from this study indicated that the Persian version of SAQ-A30 is a valid instrument for measuring social anxiety in Iran. However, further psychometric evaluation of the questionnaire is recommended.

The objective of this study was to conduct a randomized control trial investigating the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) compared to a trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy (TF-CBT) in treating symptoms of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in female Afghan adolescents. Participants were randomly assigned to the ACT (20 participants; M = 14.8 [SD = 1.93]), TF-CBT (20 participants; M = 14.80 [SD = 1.85]), or waiting control group (23 participants; M = 15.47 [SD = 1.75]). At baseline, all groups completed Persian versions of the Child Revised Impact of Event Scale-13. The intervention groups then had eight group sessions of ACT or seven group sessions of TF-CBT. The control group had no additional contact. The Child Revised Impact of Event Scale-13 was readministered to all participants after 3 weeks. Analyses used analysis of covariance, with effect sizes measured by Cohen's d. In terms of PTSS, the groups did not differ significantly at preintervention. At postintervention, only the ACT and TF-CBT groups had significantly lower levels of PTSS compared to the control group. While there was no significant difference between ACT and TF-CBT groups in avoidance or arousal symptoms, we found a significant difference between groups in intrusion symptoms. The findings suggest that ACT and TF-CBT may be promising interventions for the treatment of PTSS in female Afghan adolescents and that further research in the area is warranted.

Migraine, which is a highly prevalent headache, is often comorbid with alexithymia. Parental styles contribute to the development of alexithymia. The core psychological mechanisms that connect parenting to alexithymia and can be targeted in psychotherapy are not yet studied. The objective of this study was to explore the role of emotional schemas as a possible mediator between perceived parental styles and alexithymia in migraine patients. Study participants consisted of 208 (67 males and 141 females) Iranians who completed the Farsi version of Toronto Alexithymia Scale (FTAS-20), Leahy Emotional Schema Scale (LESS II), and Measure of Parental Styles (MOPS) online. For mediation analysis, structural equation modeling was used based on Baron and Kenny’s mediation model. The results demonstrated that mother overprotection and mother indifference were significantly related to alexithymia in migraine patients. Emotional schemas and alexithymia were also positively and significantly related. Additionally, mother overprotection and father indifference showed positive and significant covariation with emotional schemas. Data analysis with structural equation modeling revealed that emotional schemas partially mediate the relationship between parental styles and alexithymia in migraine patients. The current study expands our knowledge of possible mechanisms that relate childhood experiences of being parented and alexithymia in migraine patients. Findings of this research imply psychological treatments can benefit from targeting emotional schemas in migraine patients with alexithymia.

This research aimed to investigate the relationship between childhood traumatic experiences and bodily distress syndrome, and the mediating role of somatoform dissociation. A total of 241 individuals living in Iran aged 20-40 years (M = 26.41 years, SD = 6.30; 74.7% females) were selected by convenience sampling to participate online in the research in March 2023. They answered the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), the Bodily Distress Syndrome Checklist (BDS-25), and the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20). The results of the structural equation modeling showed that the model had a good fit, and significant relationships were observed between childhood traumatic experiences and bodily distress syndrome, between childhood traumatic experiences and somatoform dissociation, and also between somatoform dissociation and bodily distress syndrome. The results indicated that somatoform dissociation partially mediates the relationship between childhood traumatic experiences and bodily distress syndrome. Furthermore, the prevalence of bodily distress syndrome was higher in the female than the male participants. The results thus highlight the role of childhood traumatic experiences and somatoform dissociation in creating bodily distress syndrome.