Journal of Psychological Dynamics in Mood Disorders

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy on reducing academic trauma and improving academic performance among students with experiences of school bullying.

Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, control group, and three-month follow-up assessment. The statistical population consisted of male and female middle school students in Tehran during the 2023–2024 academic year who reported experiences of school bullying. The sample initially included 50 students; however, after attrition, data from 47 participants, including 24 students in the experimental group and 23 students in the control group, were analyzed. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of EMDR therapy, while the control group remained on a waiting list. Research instruments included the Peer Bullying Questionnaire, Academic Trauma Scale, and Academic Performance Checklist. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance and repeated measures analysis of variance in SPSS-26 software.

Findings: The results of multivariate analysis of covariance indicated significant differences between the experimental and control groups in academic trauma after controlling for pre-test scores (F=48.72, P<0.001, η²=0.53). Furthermore, academic performance significantly improved in the experimental group compared to the control group (F=42.15, P<0.001, η²=0.49). Results of repeated measures analysis of variance also revealed significant effects of time and time×group interaction for both variables (P<0.001), indicating the stability of treatment effects at the three-month follow-up stage.

Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that EMDR therapy can be considered an effective intervention for reducing academic trauma and improving academic performance among students exposed to school bullying. By reducing the emotional burden of traumatic memories, improving emotional regulation, and modifying negative cognitions, EMDR facilitates better psychological and educational adjustment. Therefore, implementing trauma-focused interventions in schools and student counseling centers appears essential.

Background and Aim: A baby is born into a family and begins its first interactions with the environment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy and group narrative therapy on the cognitive emotion regulation of mothers of children with hearing impairments in Shahr-e Kord.

Method: The present study was a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up with a control group. The statistical population of the present study included mothers of children with hearing impairments who referred to the SINA specialized education center for children with hearing impairments in Shahr-e Kord in 2018-2019. Their number was reported as 96. From the statistical population, 60 mothers were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to three groups. The instruments used in this study were the Emotion Regulation Strategy Scale (2006), the Compassion-Focused Therapy protocol, which is a 12-session intervention based on Gilbert's (2010) treatment plan, and the Narrative Therapy protocol, which is a 12-session intervention based on Payne's (2004) protocol. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 23.

Findings: The results showed that with the experimental intervention, positive and negative emotion regulation changed in the post-test phase, and this change continued in the follow-up phase. The F-value for positive emotion regulation (81.25 and 61.96) and negative emotion regulation (50.86 and 52.42) indicates that the linear and non-linear trend of participants' scores in different levels of positive and negative emotion regulation variables is not the same in the experimental and control groups.

Conclusion: The results of data analysis showed that compassion-focused therapy had a significant effect on the test stages (pre-test, post-test, and follow-up) of positive and negative emotion regulation variables in mothers of children with hearing impairments. Compassion-focused therapy had a significant effect on positive and negative emotion regulation in mothers of children with hearing impairments. The findings also indicated that narrative therapy had a significant effect on positive and negative emotion regulation in mothers of children with hearing impairments.

Objective: The present study aimed to predict children’s anxiety based on mothers’ emotional adjustment, alexithymia, and family accommodation.

Methodology: This study employed a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population consisted of children and adolescents aged 10–18 years living in Gorgan, Iran, in autumn 2025, along with their mothers. A sample of 480 children and their mothers was selected using multi-stage random cluster sampling. Instruments included the Anxiety subscale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Emotional Adjustment subscale of the Bell Adjustment Inventory, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the Family Accommodation Scale–Anxiety (FAS-A). Data were analyzed using SPSS-28 through Pearson correlation coefficients and stepwise regression analysis.

Findings: Results indicated a significant negative correlation between mothers’ emotional adjustment and children’s anxiety (r = -0.29, p < .05), a significant positive correlation between mothers’ alexithymia and children’s anxiety (r = 0.61, p < .05), and a significant negative correlation between mothers’ family accommodation and children’s anxiety (r = -0.65, p < .05). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that family accommodation accounted for 42% of the variance in children’s anxiety (F = 108.42, p < .05). With the inclusion of alexithymia in the second step, the explained variance increased to 52% (F = 79.93, p < .001). Emotional adjustment did not enter the final regression model due to shared variance with other predictors.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that higher maternal alexithymia and maladaptive family accommodation are associated with elevated anxiety levels in children, underscoring the importance of addressing maternal emotional characteristics in prevention and intervention programs for childhood anxiety.

Objective: The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between distress tolerance and conflict management with public speaking anxiety among students.

Methodology: This study employed a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population consisted of all undergraduate students in humanities fields at Islamic Azad University, Babol Branch, during the 2020–2021 academic year, from whom 357 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Research instruments included the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety by Cho, Smith, and Telch, the Distress Tolerance Scale by Simons and Gaher, and the Conflict Management Questionnaire by Gamar-Erikson et al. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression analysis. Prior to inferential analyses, the normality of data distribution was confirmed through skewness, kurtosis, and Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests.

Findings: The findings demonstrated a significant negative relationship between distress tolerance and public speaking anxiety, indicating that higher distress tolerance was associated with lower levels of public speaking anxiety. A significant negative relationship was also found between conflict management and public speaking anxiety. Correlation analyses revealed that distress tolerance correlated negatively with public speaking anxiety (r = -0.35), while conflict management also showed a negative correlation (r = -0.30). Stepwise regression results indicated that both distress tolerance and conflict management significantly predicted public speaking anxiety and explained a meaningful proportion of its variance. Furthermore, the Durbin–Watson statistic confirmed the independence of residuals and the adequacy of the regression model.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that emotional and interpersonal characteristics play a significant role in students’ experiences of public speaking anxiety. Greater distress tolerance appears to reduce anxiety in public speaking situations, while effective conflict management may alleviate concerns related to social evaluation and interpersonal interactions. Therefore, implementing educational and counseling interventions focused on improving distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and conflict management skills may contribute to reducing public speaking anxiety and enhancing students’ academic and social functioning.

Objective: The present study aimed to develop a structural model for predicting asthma symptom control based on self-compassion with the mediating role of emotion regulation in patients with asthma.

Methodology: This descriptive–correlational study using path analysis was conducted on 153 patients with asthma who attended clinics and hospitals in Tehran in 2023. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. Data collection instruments included the Asthma Control Test (ACT), the Self-Compassion Scale, and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and path analysis through SPSS-24 and AMOS-24 software. Model fit was assessed using χ²/df, CFI, GFI, AGFI, and RMSEA indices.

Findings: The results demonstrated that self-compassion had a positive and significant relationship with asthma symptom control (β=0.486, p<0.001). Adaptive emotion regulation strategies positively predicted asthma symptom control (β=0.354, p<0.001), whereas maladaptive emotion regulation strategies negatively predicted symptom control (β=-0.188, p=0.002). The indirect effect of self-compassion on asthma symptom control through emotion regulation was also significant (β=0.065, p=0.041). Model fit indices indicated an acceptable fit between the proposed model and the collected data (χ²/df=1.69, CFI=0.987, GFI=0.993, AGFI=0.895, RMSEA=0.066). Moreover, the study variables explained 44% of the variance in asthma symptom control.

Conclusion: The findings indicated that self-compassion and emotion regulation play substantial roles in asthma symptom control, and emotion regulation—particularly maladaptive strategies—mediates the relationship between self-compassion and asthma symptom control. Therefore, incorporating psychological interventions aimed at enhancing self-compassion and improving adaptive emotion regulation strategies may contribute to better asthma management and treatment outcomes among patients with asthma.

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between problematic social media use and academic burnout with the mediating role of technostress among students of Payame Noor University of Mashhad.

Methodology: This applied study employed a descriptive-correlational design using structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all students of Payame Noor University of Mashhad during the 2024–2025 academic year, from whom 384 participants were selected using stratified random sampling. Data collection instruments included the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, the Academic Burnout Questionnaire developed by Breso et al., and the Technostress Scale developed by Tarafdar et al. Data were analyzed using SPSS-27 and AMOS-26 software. Pearson correlation coefficients and structural equation modeling were used to examine relationships among variables.

Findings: The results indicated that problematic social media use had a significant positive relationship with technostress (r=0.61, p<0.01) and academic burnout (r=0.54, p<0.01). Technostress was also positively associated with academic burnout (r=0.67, p<0.01). Structural equation modeling revealed that problematic social media use had a direct effect on technostress (β=0.63, p<0.001) and academic burnout (β=0.29, p<0.001). In addition, technostress had a significant direct effect on academic burnout (β=0.52, p<0.001). The indirect effect of problematic social media use on academic burnout through technostress was also significant (β=0.33, p<0.001).

Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that problematic social media use could intensify students’ academic burnout through increased technostress. Therefore, improving digital literacy, teaching healthy social media management skills, and implementing technostress reduction programs may play an important role in promoting students’ psychological well-being and reducing academic burnout.

Objective: The present study aimed to develop a structural model for predicting asthma symptom control based on self-compassion with the mediating role of emotion regulation in patients with asthma.

Methods and Materials: This descriptive–correlational study using path analysis was conducted on 153 patients with asthma who attended clinics and hospitals in Tehran in 2023. Participants were selected through purposive sampling. Data collection instruments included the Asthma Control Test (ACT), the Self-Compassion Scale, and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and path analysis through SPSS-24 and AMOS-24 software. Model fit was assessed using χ²/df, CFI, GFI, AGFI, and RMSEA indices.

Findings: The results demonstrated that self-compassion had a positive and significant relationship with asthma symptom control (β=0.486, p<0.001). Adaptive emotion regulation strategies positively predicted asthma symptom control (β=0.354, p<0.001), whereas maladaptive emotion regulation strategies negatively predicted symptom control (β=-0.188, p=0.002). The indirect effect of self-compassion on asthma symptom control through emotion regulation was also significant (β=0.065, p=0.041). Model fit indices indicated an acceptable fit between the proposed model and the collected data (χ²/df=1.69, CFI=0.987, GFI=0.993, AGFI=0.895, RMSEA=0.066). Moreover, the study variables explained 44% of the variance in asthma symptom control.

Conclusion: The findings indicated that self-compassion and emotion regulation play substantial roles in asthma symptom control, and emotion regulation—particularly maladaptive strategies—mediates the relationship between self-compassion and asthma symptom control. Therefore, incorporating psychological interventions aimed at enhancing self-compassion and improving adaptive emotion regulation strategies may contribute to better asthma management and treatment outcomes among patients with asthma.

Objective: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Reality Therapy in reducing obsessive-compulsive symptoms and enhancing resilience among mothers of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with pretest, posttest, and follow-up phases. The statistical population consisted of all mothers of children with ADHD in Urmia during 2025. A total of 45 participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to three groups of 15 participants, including a CBT group, a Reality Therapy group, and a control group. The first experimental group received eight sessions of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy based on Wildemuth’s model, whereas the second experimental group received eight sessions of Reality Therapy based on Glasser’s approach. The control group received no intervention. Data collection instruments included the Hodgson and Rachman Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale. Data were analyzed using mixed analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc tests.

Findings: The findings demonstrated that both Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Reality Therapy significantly reduced obsessive-compulsive symptoms and significantly increased resilience among mothers of children with ADHD. Significant differences were observed across the pretest, posttest, and follow-up stages in both variables (p < .01). Bonferroni post hoc analysis revealed a significant reduction in obsessive-compulsive symptoms and a significant increase in resilience scores during the posttest and follow-up stages compared to the pretest. Furthermore, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy showed greater effectiveness than Reality Therapy in reducing obsessive-compulsive symptoms and improving resilience, with higher effect sizes reported for the CBT intervention.

Conclusion: The results indicate that both Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Reality Therapy are effective interventions for improving the psychological well-being of mothers of children with ADHD. However, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy demonstrated superior effectiveness due to its direct focus on cognitive restructuring, emotional regulation, and coping-skills training.