Clinical Psychology Studies

Abstract Introduction and Objective: Adolescence is a critical developmental period marked by substantial biological, psychological, and social changes. These changes generate multiple challenges that may significantly affect adolescents’ physical and mental health. The present study aimed to develop a model of vulnerability factors among adolescent boys in coping with the challenges of adolescence.
Research Methodology: This qualitative study was conducted using a grounded theory approach. The sample consisted of 12 students from Allameh Tabataba’i University in Tehran in 2024, who were selected through purposive sampling based on the principle of theoretical saturation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the Strauss and Corbin method.
Findings: The findings yielded 42 open codes and 10 axial codes, including: lack of parental emotional support, informational guidance deficit, sexual challenges, emotional relationships with the opposite sex, unresolved struggles for autonomy, problem-solving–reducing coping strategies, exacerbating strategies, negative emotions and behaviors, feelings of guilt and confusion, and lack of self-acceptance.
Conclusion: The results indicated that lack of parental support, combined with insufficient environmental information, intensifies the pressures experienced by adolescent boys, leading to reduced self-acceptance and increased negative emotions and behaviors. It can therefore be concluded that inadequate parental support and limited awareness contribute significantly to the psychological and social vulnerability of adolescent boys.

Abstract Internet addiction is a widespread problem inflicting most of today’s societies. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of emotion efficacy therapy on the reduction of internet dependency and psychological vulnerability (depression, anxiety and stress) in students with symptoms of internet addiction. The research was quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-test and control group. The statistical population of the study included all male students of state technical schools with symptoms of internet addiction in the year 2020 in Tabriz City. In order to select the sample, one district from five educational districts and then a technical school were selected randomly. After that, the students possessing the inclusion criteria to the research were screened by Young’s Internet Addiction Test (YIAT20) and from among them 40 students were purposively assigned to either experimental or control group, each group consisting of 20 students. The experimental group received eight session emotion efficacy therapy whereas the control group received no intervention in this period. For the collection of data, Young’s Internet Addiction Test (YIAT20) and Lovibond’s Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) were used. The collected data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance. The results from the comparison of the post-tests of the groups indicated that scores of internet dependency and psychological vulnerability of experimental and control groups varied significantly (p<0.01). The results showed that emotion efficacy therapy reduced internet dependency and psychological vulnerability (depression, anxiety and stress) in students with symptoms of internet addiction.