Clinical Psychology Studies

Abstract Background and Aim: Human resources working in social emergency services, as the most valuable asset of the organization, are exposed to numerous psychological injuries. The present study aimed to develop and validate a training program based on spiritual health and to investigate its effectiveness on reducing perceived stress and improving psychological well-being among social emergency workers.
Research Methodology: The study was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population included all employees of the Social Emergency Department of Tehran in 2023–2024. Thirty employees were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 participants in each group). Data were collected using Cohen et al.’s (1983) Perceived Stress Scale and Ryff’s (2002) Psychological Well-being Scale. The experimental group participated in 10 sessions of 90-minute spiritual health training (twice a week for one and a half months), while the control group received no intervention. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used for data analysis.
Findings: The results showed that spiritual health training had a significant effect on reducing perceived stress and increasing psychological well-being among social emergency workers.
Conclusion: Spiritual health skills training can be used as an effective intervention to improve psychological well-being and reduce perceived stress in social emergency employees. It is recommended that this program be implemented in organizational mental health initiatives.

Abstract Background and Aim: Adolescence is considered a critical period of development, characterized by sudden emotional, physical, and psychological changes. Especially adolescent girls eed in academic and professional pursuits who may experience higher levels of emotional distress related to academic and social challenges can be more prone to tendencies such as substance use and self-harm behaviors. In this regard, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of unified trans-diagnostic group therapy on the tendency towards substance use disorders and self-harm in adolescent girls: The moderating role of maternal emotion regulation. Research Methodology: The research method was a quasi-experimental study with a multi-group pre-test-post-test design, control group, and two-month follow-up. The statistical population of the study included 10th and 11th grade adolescent girls in the work and knowledge branch of Arak art schools and their mothers in 2025. The sample size was considered to be 26 people in two groups (adolescent experimental group with mothers and control group) and 25 people in one group (adolescent education group), who were selected through purposive sampling. Research instruments included the Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Addiction Tendency Questionnaire (TAQ), and Self-Injury Inventory (SHI). The unified trans-diagnostic therapy for the adolescent girl group included 12 60-minute intervention sessions and the mothers' group included 5 sessions in the 90-minute intervention, which were held in a group style and once a week. Multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance, repeated measures analysis of variance, and Bonferroni post hoc test were used to analyze the data. Findings: The results indicated the effectiveness of group training based on unified trans-diagnostic therapy on tendency towards Substance and self-harm behaviors and the significant moderating role of mothers in emotion regulation (P<0.05). Conclusion: Counselors and psychologists can use unified trans-diagnostic therapy to improve tendency towards Substance use and self-harm behaviors in adolescent girls, and in addition, they can also educate and intervene with parents.

Abstract Background and Aim: Considering the critical importance of empathy in facilitating interpersonal relationships, promoting optimal social development, and preventing behavioral disorders during childhood, this study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an empathy training program on enhancing social adjustment and reducing verbal aggression in third-grade female students.
Research Methodology: This research employed a semi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test, including a control group. The study population consisted of third-grade female students in schools located in District 7 of Tehran during the 2023-2024 academic year. A total sample of 40 students (20 in the experimental group and 20 in the control group) was selected using multi-stage cluster sampling and randomly assigned to two groups. The data collection tools included the Child and Adolescent Empathy Questionnaire (EmQue-CA, Origaud et al., 2010), the Social Adjustment Scale (SSAS, Sinha & Singh, 1993), and the Aggression Scale (Williams et al., 1996). The content and face validity of the tools were confirmed, and their reliability was calculated using Cronbach’s alpha (above 0.85). The empathy training program consisted of 11 sessions and was implemented with the experimental group. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with SPSS version 26.
Findings: The results indicated that the empathy training had a significant positive effect. This intervention led to a significant increase in social adjustment (with an effect size of η² = 0.202) and a significant reduction in verbal aggression in the experimental group (with an effect size of η² = 0.104) compared to the control group.
Conclusion: The findings strongly suggest that empathy training can serve as an effective and structured psychological-social intervention for improving interpersonal relationships, enhancing perspective-taking abilities, reducing verbal aggression, and ultimately improving social adjustment skills in elementary school students. Given the substantial effectiveness of the training program, it is recommended that empathy training be incorporated widely into school curricula, and future research should investigate its long-term effects across various educational levels and genders.

Abstract Background and Aim: Homosexuality is a historical, cultural, and social phenomenon that has gained increasing attention in recent decades. Queer theory, as the foundational framework supporting homosexuality, attempts to dismantle traditional gender binaries and emphasizes diversity, fluidity, and the social construction of sexual identities. The aim of this study is to critically analyze homosexuality from the perspective of Queer Theory.
Research Methodology: The research method is a qualitative content analysis of academic sources related to Queer Theory and homosexuality.
Findings: The findings reveal that this theory contradicts many scientific, psychological, philosophical, and religious foundations. In particular, Queer Theory disregards biological and psychological realities and conflicts with Islamic jurisprudence as well as with principles of both Islamic and Western philosophy. Moreover, the study indicates that the acceptance of this theory may foster a form of cultural relativism that undermines social and moral stability.
Conclusion: Such contradictions can lead to identity crises, cultural instability, and psychosocial harms, especially among younger generations. By highlighting these theoretical and practical inconsistencies, this research underscores the necessity of re-examining the premises of Queer Theory from a multidisciplinary standpoint. The study ultimately calls for a deeper engagement between religious thought, psychological sciences, and philosophical reasoning to address the challenges posed by Queer Theory.

Abstract Background and Aim: Behavioral therapy is effective in obsessive–compulsive disorder, yet treatment-related anxiety and non-response in some patients highlight the need to understand underlying neurobiological mechanisms. This study compared the effects of cognitive rehabilitation) CR) and exposure–response prevention (ERP) on neurocognitive and clinical outcomes in OCD, focusing on frontal dysfunction. Research Methodology: A single-case experimental design with multiple nonconcurrent baselines was used. Six patients (aged 17–48 years) were purposively sampled and randomly assigned to CR  and ERP (24 individual sessions each, plus 2-month follow-up). Assessment  included the Tower of London, Wisconsin Card Sorting, Stroop, N-Back, Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale and Beck Depression Inventory. Data were analyzed using percentage improvement, effect size, reliable change index, and cut-off points. Findings: Both interventions significantly reduced OCD and depressive symptoms. CR showed superior clinical efficacy on neurocognitive outcomes compared to ERP during both intervention and follow-up (Z > 1.96, p < .05). Conclusion: CR enhances executive functions and, alongside ERP, significantly improves OCD and depressive symptoms. CR can be effectively utilized by clinical practitioners as an adjunctive intervention.

Abstract Background and Aim: Musculoskeletal pain is one of the major causes of disability, and comparing the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with and without Transcranial direct current stimulation may play a crucial role in improving pain-related dysfunction. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of CBT, with and without transcranial direct current stimulation, on pain-related disability in patients with musculoskeletal pain.
Research Methodology: This applied quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a follow-up phase and a non-equivalent control group. A total of 45 patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain and a minimum pain duration of three months in the lower back, neck, and shoulder regions, who had referred to specialized orthopedic clinics in Sirjan, were selected by convenience sampling and allocated into three groups of 15 participants each: CBT with tDCS, CBT without tDCS, and control. The experimental groups received 12 sessions of group-based CBT according to McFarlane’s protocol, and the combined group additionally underwent 20 sessions of transcranial direct current stimulation at 2 mA targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Pain-related disability was assessed using the Roland–Morris Disability Questionnaire (Roland & Morris, 1981). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANCOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests in SPSS version 26.
Findings: ANCOVA results indicated a significant effect of group on pain-related disability. Both CBT groups—with and without tDCS—showed significantly greater reductions in disability compared to the control group (F = 66/586). Although the difference between the two experimental groups was not statistically significant (p>0.05), the combined group demonstrated slightly greater improvement..
Conclusion: The findings indicate that CBT is an effective intervention for reducing pain-related disability, and although tDCS appears to enhance these effects, its statistical advantage was not confirmed. Therefore, while CBT remains a robust therapeutic approach, further research is needed to determine the definitive added value of combining it with tDCS.