Journal of

Extramarital relationships are among the major psychological challenges within family systems, potentially undermining mental health and marital satisfaction. The present study aimed to investigate the structural equation modeling of the tendency toward extramarital relationships based on loneliness, with the mediating role of sexual quality of life, among married women attending family counseling centers in Mashhad. The study employed a descriptive–correlational design using structural equation modeling. The statistical population consisted of all married women referred to family counseling centers in Mashhad in 2024, from which a sample of 300 participants was selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the UCLA Loneliness Scale (1980), the Tendency toward Extramarital Relationships Questionnaire, and the Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire (2002). Data analysis was conducted using AMOS and SPSS through structural equation modeling and Pearson correlation tests. Findings revealed that loneliness had a positive and significant relationship with the tendency toward extramarital relationships (p < 0.001). Moreover, sexual quality of life played a significant mediating role in the relationship between loneliness and the tendency toward extramarital relationships, such that higher sexual quality of life reduced the negative effect of loneliness on extramarital tendencies. The model fit indices indicated an acceptable fit of the proposed model. These findings highlight the importance of reducing loneliness and enhancing sexual quality of life as effective strategies to mitigate extramarital tendencies. Accordingly, psychological and counseling interventions focusing on improving marital and sexual relationships are recommended.

The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of emotional working memory in the relationship between attentional bias and depressive symptoms within the context of family interactions. Guided by contemporary cognitive–emotional models of depression, the study explored how negative attentional bias, as a core vulnerability factor, may influence depressive symptomatology through impairments in emotional working memory, and how these processes are embedded in the dynamics of family relationships. This research employed a descriptive-correlational design using structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of adults aged 20–40 years living in active family systems in Tehran in 2025. A total of 350 participants were selected through purposive convenient sampling following eligibility screening. Research instruments included measures of depressive symptoms, attentional bias, emotional working memory performance, and family interaction patterns. The results demonstrated that negative attentional bias significantly predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly. Emotional working memory showed a significant mediating role, indicating that deficits in maintaining, updating, and regulating emotional information constitute a key mechanism linking attentional bias to depressive experiences. Furthermore, family interactions functioned as an amplifying contextual factor: maladaptive and conflictual family environments strengthened the indirect pathway by increasing cognitive–emotional load and reducing regulatory resources. The final structural model showed acceptable fit indices and supported the hypothesized mediational relationships. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of integrating cognitive, emotional, and contextual variables in understanding depressive symptoms. They also underscore the potential value of interventions targeting attentional processing biases and emotional working memory capacities, particularly within family-based therapeutic frameworks.

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of self-compassion training on levels of self-criticism and sense of coherence in women with depressive symptoms. The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population consisted of all women with depressive symptoms referring to counseling centers in Qom. Among them, 30 participants were selected through purposeful sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental group (15 participants) or the control group (15 participants). The research instruments included the Beck Depression Inventory-II for screening, the Levels of Self-Criticism Scale by Thompson and Zuroff, and the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire by Flensborg-Madsen. The experimental group received group self-compassion training, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA and ANCOVA). The findings indicated that after controlling for the pretest effect, the difference between the experimental and control groups in the posttest phase was statistically significant for both levels of self-criticism and sense of coherence. The educational intervention accounted for 29.1% of the variance in self-criticism and 59.0% of the variance in sense of coherence. Furthermore, the results showed that this training significantly reduced internalized and comparative self-criticism while enhancing the components of sense of coherence, including comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness. In conclusion, by weakening self-criticism mechanisms and strengthening the structure of the sense of coherence, self-compassion training serves as an effective approach for improving the mental health indices of depressed women, and its application in counseling centers is recommended.

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on thought fusion and the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder in Tehran. The present study method was a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included all women with obsessive-compulsive disorder who visited clinics in Tehran between April and June 1404, from which a sample was selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The measurement tools included the Thought Fusion Questionnaire and the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. The experimental group underwent cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions, while the control group did not receive any intervention. The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance. The results showed that after the intervention, there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the variables of thought fusion and the severity of obsessive symptoms. Cognitive-behavioral therapy significantly reduced the rate of thought fusion and the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients in the experimental group compared to the control group. Based on the research findings, cognitive-behavioral therapy, by correcting cognitive distortions and reducing thought-action fusion, is an effective approach in improving the clinical symptoms of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, and the use of this treatment protocol is recommended in rehabilitation centers and psychological clinics.

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on rumination and depressive symptoms in students with major depressive disorder. This study was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included all students with major depressive disorder referred to the Tehran Health Center in 1404, from which 30 students with major depressive disorder were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent 8 90-minute sessions of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy intervention, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Data collection tools included the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the Rumination Scale (RRS). Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance. The results of data analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the mean pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental group in rumination variables and depressive symptoms. In fact, participating in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy sessions led to a significant reduction in the repetition of unwanted thoughts and the alleviation of clinical symptoms of depression in students. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, by teaching the skills of being present in the moment and accepting without judgment, is an effective tool for managing repetitive thoughts and improving the mental state of students with major depression and can be used as a complementary intervention in university counseling centers.

The present study aimed to analyze and compare the psychological profiles of two groups of traditional and industrial drug users, examining the differences in brain-behavioral systems, personality dimensions, and prosocial behavior tendencies. This causal-comparative study was conducted on 200 drug-dependent men (100 traditional drug users and 100 industrial drug users) who had referred to rehabilitation centers in Qom in 1404. The measurement tools included the Gray-Wilson Brain-Behavioral Systems Questionnaire, Cloninger Personality and Character Test, and the Revised Prosocial Behavior Scale. The findings from multivariate analysis of variance showed that industrial drug users scored significantly higher in the behavioral activation system and the approach and active avoidance subscales, while no significant differences were observed in the behavioral inhibition and conflict-avoidance systems. In terms of personality dimensions, the industrial group had higher scores in novelty seeking, harm avoidance, perseverance, self-direction, and self-transcendence, but traditional users showed superiority in the reward dependence dimension and indicators of social behavior (altruism and compliance). The results indicate that the industrial substance use pattern is associated with a more impulsive personality profile and a deeper breakdown in social functioning, while traditional users maintained social bonds and responsiveness to environmental rewards. These findings emphasize the need to review treatment protocols and design differentiated interventions based on the type of substance used and the neuro-personality underpinnings in the field of addiction psychology.