E-ISSN: 3041-8615 Director in Charge: Dr. Seyed Ali Darbani Editor-in-chief: Dr. Shokoh Navabinejad Associate editor: Dr. Nadereh Saadati Executive Director: Maryam Nayebzadeh Owner: Iranian Association for Women's Studies Publisher: KMAN Publication Inc. (KMANPUB) Contact Email: psywoman@kmanpub.com /psychowomenjournal@gmail.com Open Access: YES The psychology of woman journal publishes new theories and scientific-research achievements in various areas and is a suitable platform for presenting and transmitting opinions and results obtained about new findings and studies that are raised in relation with women studies. The publication of this journal causes a detailed and valuable acquaintance and recognition of the studies which can show that how women have a great contribution in the society. Therefore, articles that are dedicated to the psychological and social issues of women and are written according to the scientific structure of the journal will be able to be published in this journal. Therefore, experts and scholars can submit their manuscripts for peer-review and publication in this scientific quarterly by becoming a member of the site. The Psychology of Woman Journal is a scientific open peer-reviewed. The aims and scopes of the journal are to publish articles in the field of women and family, with the following priorities: Pathology and providing solutions for women and family issues Examining and presenting new findings in the theoretical fields of women and family issues from a religious perspective Identifying the needs, abilities of women and the fields of their presence during the development of the Islamic system Explaining the role of women in social processes and social psychology Creating and presenting a new paradigm in the field of women in the country Development of research related to women from the perspective of social psychology and sociology Criticizing and examining the views of schools and experts in the field of women and family About the Publisher Publisher: KMAN Publication Inc. Publisher Office: Unit 5‑10825 Yonge St, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, L4C 3E3 https://journals.kmanpub.com Email: kmanpu@kmanpub.com Telegram: +1 (647) 656‑4401 | WhatsApp: +1 (437) 429‑3507 Germany Office: Dratelnstrasse, Wohnung A60, 21119 Hamburg, Germany (+4915207720487)
Machine Learning Prediction of Anxiety Symptoms in Pregnant Women Based on Pregnancy-Specific Stress, Social Support, and Health Literacy
Objective: The present study aimed to develop and evaluate machine learning models for predicting anxiety symptoms among pregnant women based on pregnancy-specific stress, social support, and health literacy and to determine the relative importance of these predictors in identifying women at risk for elevated anxiety during pregnancy. Methods and Materials: This applied cross-sectional predictive study was conducted among 384 pregnant women attending prenatal care centers and obstetric clinics in Tehran. Participants were selected through multistage convenience sampling and completed a demographic questionnaire, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, a Pregnancy-Specific Stress Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the Health Literacy for Iranian Adults Questionnaire. Following data preprocessing and descriptive analyses, machine learning techniques were employed to predict anxiety symptoms. The dataset was divided into training and testing subsets, and several supervised learning algorithms, including Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine, K-Nearest Neighbors, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), were developed and evaluated using cross-validation procedures. Model performance was assessed using accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Feature importance analyses were conducted to identify the relative contribution of predictor variables. Findings: Correlation analyses revealed a significant positive relationship between pregnancy-specific stress and anxiety symptoms and significant negative relationships between anxiety symptoms, social support, and health literacy. All machine learning algorithms demonstrated acceptable predictive performance; however, ensemble learning methods substantially outperformed traditional models. The XGBoost algorithm achieved the highest predictive accuracy (93%), precision (91%), recall (90%), F1-score (90%), and AUC (0.97), indicating excellent classification performance. Feature importance analysis showed that pregnancy-specific stress was the strongest predictor of anxiety symptoms, followed by social support and health literacy. Together, these findings demonstrated that psychosocial and informational factors could accurately predict anxiety risk among pregnant women and that advanced machine learning techniques effectively captured the complex relationships among these variables. Conclusion: Pregnancy-specific stress, social support, and health literacy are significant predictors of anxiety symptoms during pregnancy, with pregnancy-specific stress representing the most influential factor. Machine learning models, particularly XGBoost, provide highly accurate prediction of maternal anxiety risk and may serve as valuable tools for early screening, prevention, and targeted intervention within prenatal healthcare settings. Strengthening social support systems and improving maternal health literacy may help reduce anxiety symptoms and enhance psychological well-being during pregnancy.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mahboobeh Karimian (Author); Seyed Ali Darbani (Corresponding Author); Maryam Mousavi, Mahdis Fatemi (Author)
A Comparative Study of the Effectiveness of Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Communication Patterns in Women Involved in Extramarital Relationships
Objective: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (STPP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on communication patterns among women involved in extramarital relationships. Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study employed a three-group design with pretest, posttest, and two-month follow-up assessments. The statistical population consisted of married women with a history of extramarital relationships who attended counseling centers affiliated with the Tehran Welfare Organization and the Iranian Psychological Association in 2026. Forty-five participants were selected through volunteer sampling and randomly assigned to three groups: STPP (n = 15), ACT (n = 15), and a control group (n = 15). The intervention groups received eight weekly individual therapy sessions, while the control group received no structured intervention. Data were collected using the Communication Patterns Questionnaire (CPQ) and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kruskal–Wallis tests, repeated-measures ANCOVA, Welch tests, and Bonferroni post hoc comparisons in SPSS-27. Findings: No significant differences were observed among the groups at baseline for mutual constructive communication, demand–withdraw communication, or mutual avoidance communication (p > .05). Repeated-measures ANCOVA demonstrated significant Time × Group interactions for mutual constructive communication (F = 4.379, p = .020, η² = .196) and demand–withdraw communication (F = 12.842, p < .001, η² = .416), indicating superior improvement in the intervention groups compared with the control group. Significant between-group effects were also observed for mutual constructive communication (F = 20.373, p < .001, η² = .531), demand–withdraw communication (F = 136.480, p < .001, η² = .883), and mutual avoidance communication (F = 101.130, p < .001, η² = .849). Bonferroni analyses revealed that STPP produced significantly greater improvements at follow-up in constructive communication and reductions in demand–withdraw patterns, whereas ACT showed the lowest levels of mutual avoidance communication. Conclusion: Both STPP and ACT were effective interventions for improving communication patterns among women involved in extramarital relationships. However, STPP demonstrated stronger and more durable effects on enhancing constructive communication and reducing demand–withdraw interactions, while ACT was particularly effective in reducing communication avoidance. These findings support the clinical utility of both approaches for addressing communication difficulties and promoting healthier marital interactions in women experiencing relational distress associated with extramarital involvement.
Copyright (c) 2025 Masoome Jafari (Author); Behzad Ali Gohari (Corresponding Author); Rahim Davari (Author)
Development of a Predictive Model of Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Based on Health-Promoting Lifestyle with the Mediating Role of Illness Perception in Female Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Objective: This study aimed to determine the mediating role of illness perception in the relationship between health-promoting lifestyle and psychosocial adjustment to illness among female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Materials and Methods: The present study was a descriptive-correlational study using a structural equation modeling design. The statistical population included all female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who referred to hospitals affiliated with Islamic Azad University in Tehran, including Bou-Ali, Farhikhtegan, and Amir-Al-Momenin hospitals, as well as the Lupus Association, during the first six months of 2025. Based on the inclusion criteria, 280 participants were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale developed by Derogatis (1986), the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile developed by Walker (1990), and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire developed by Broadbent et al. (2006). Data were analyzed using regression analysis and structural equation modeling through SPSS and PLS software at a significance level of 0.05. Findings: The inferential findings showed that health-promoting lifestyle had a significant relationship with psychosocial adjustment to illness in female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. In addition, illness perception was significantly associated with psychosocial adjustment to illness. The results of structural equation modeling confirmed the mediating role of illness perception in the relationship between health-promoting lifestyle and psychosocial adjustment to illness. Accordingly, the indirect path from health-promoting lifestyle to psychosocial adjustment through illness perception was statistically significant, indicating that patients’ cognitive appraisal of their illness plays an important explanatory role in how health-related lifestyle behaviors affect psychosocial adaptation. Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of mediating cognitive processes in adaptation to chronic illness and indicate that promoting health-related behaviors alone may not be sufficient. Interventions for women with systemic lupus erythematosus should also focus on modifying patients’ illness perceptions and cognitive interpretations in order to improve psychosocial adjustment.
Copyright (c) 2025 Nooshin Gharibpanah (Author); Sara Hashemi (Corresponding Author); Setareh Tehrani (Author)
The Relationship of Self-Handicapping and Mood Disorders with Self-Concept in Elderly Women
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between self-handicapping and mood disorders with self-concept among elderly women in Tehran. Methods and Materials: This applied study employed a descriptive-correlational research design. The statistical population consisted of 254 elderly women residing in Tehran. Based on Cochran’s formula, 153 participants were selected through cluster sampling. Data were collected using the Jones and Rhodewalt Self-Handicapping Scale (SHS), the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), and Rogers’ Self-Concept Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics, while Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships among the study variables. Findings: Inferential statistical analyses revealed significant relationships between self-handicapping, mood disorders, and self-concept among elderly women (p < .05). Pearson correlation coefficients indicated that higher levels of self-handicapping were associated with poorer self-concept. Similarly, mood disorder symptoms demonstrated a significant negative relationship with self-concept, suggesting that increased emotional and mood-related difficulties corresponded with lower levels of positive self-perception. Regression analyses further showed that self-handicapping and mood disorders significantly predicted self-concept and jointly accounted for a meaningful proportion of its variance. The findings suggest that psychological and emotional factors play an important role in shaping self-concept during late adulthood. Conclusion: The results indicate that both self-handicapping behaviors and mood disorders are significantly associated with self-concept in elderly women. Individuals experiencing greater mood-related disturbances and engaging more frequently in self-handicapping behaviors tend to report a less positive self-concept.
Copyright (c) 2025 Hamidreza Rezazadeh Bahadoran (Corresponding Author); Fatemeh Sadat Mirsarshari (Author)
The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Psychological Flexibility and Suicidal Ideation in Women with Experiences of Spousal Infidelity
Objective: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy on psychological flexibility and suicidal ideation in women with experiences of spousal infidelity. Methods and Materials: The present study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest structure and a control group. The statistical population consisted of women with experiences of spousal infidelity who were referred to the Arsam Psychological and Counseling Services Center in Tonekabon in 2026. Using convenience sampling, 28 participants were selected and randomly assigned into experimental and control groups, with 14 participants in each group. Data collection instruments included the Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire developed by Dennis and Vander Wal and the Suicide Ideation Questionnaire developed by Keith. The experimental group received cognitive behavioral therapy during eight 90-minute sessions, while the control group received no intervention during the study period. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance in SPSS software. Findings: The findings indicated that cognitive behavioral therapy significantly improved psychological flexibility in women with experiences of spousal infidelity. The results of covariance analysis demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in posttest psychological flexibility scores after controlling for pretest scores (F = 53.56, p < .001, η² = .59). In addition, cognitive behavioral therapy significantly reduced suicidal ideation among participants in the experimental group compared with the control group (F = 45.32, p < .001, η² = .56). Conclusion: The findings suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective psychological intervention for increasing psychological flexibility and reducing suicidal ideation among women affected by spousal infidelity.
Copyright (c) 2025 Rozhan Sefatian (Author); Eshagh SamKhaniani (Corresponding Author); Fatemeh Miyar Toboni , Santik Vakili , Sadegh Asadi (Author)
The Effectiveness of Self-Compassion Training on Body Image Concern and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation in Women with Overweight
Objective: The present study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of self-compassion training on body image concern and difficulties in emotion regulation in women with overweight. Materials and Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest–posttest design and a two-month follow-up including a control group. The statistical population consisted of women with overweight in Tehran in 2026. Overweight was defined based on a body mass index (BMI) ranging from 25 to 29.9. Following the initial screening, volunteer participants completed the Body Image Concern Questionnaire and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. The mean score of the initial sample was 54.30 on the Body Image Concern Questionnaire and 106.40 on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Therefore, women who obtained scores above the mean on these two instruments were considered eligible for the intervention phase. Subsequently, 30 participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two groups: an experimental group and a control group, with 15 participants in each group. The experimental group received self-compassion training in eight 60-minute sessions, whereas the control group received no intervention during this period. Data were analyzed using the independent samples t-test, Fisher’s exact test, and two-way repeated measures analysis of variance in IBM SPSS Statistics. Findings: The results indicated that the experimental and control groups did not differ significantly in terms of demographic characteristics. Furthermore, the results of the two-way repeated measures analysis of variance demonstrated that the interaction effect of group and time on body image concern and difficulties in emotion regulation was significant. Based on mean comparisons, the scores of body image concern and difficulties in emotion regulation in the experimental group decreased from the pretest to the posttest stage, and this reduction remained largely stable at the two-month follow-up stage, whereas no substantial changes were observed in the control group. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the study, self-compassion training can reduce body image concern and difficulties in emotion regulation among women with overweight. Therefore, the application of this training in counseling centers, nutrition clinics, and psychological programs related to body image may be beneficial for improving women’s relationship with their bodies and enhancing their ability to manage difficult emotions.
Copyright (c) 2025 Zohre Safari , Seyedeh Fatemeh Dinparast (Author); Mahdieh Salari (Corresponding Author)
Investigating the Relationship Between Prosocial Rule Breaking and Quality of Life with the Mediating Role of Psychological Safety Among Women Employed in Government Offices in Ahvaz
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between prosocial rule breaking and quality of life with the mediating role of psychological safety among women employed in governmental offices in Ahvaz. Methods and Materials: This study was applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational in terms of methodology using structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of women employed in governmental offices in Ahvaz, from whom 385 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Prosocial Rule Breaking Questionnaire developed by Vardaman et al. (2014), the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire–Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF), and Edmondson’s Psychological Safety Questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 and AMOS version 25. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and structural equation modeling were employed to examine the relationships among the research variables and test the conceptual model. Findings: The results revealed significant positive relationships among prosocial rule breaking, psychological safety, and quality of life. Prosocial rule breaking had a positive and significant effect on psychological safety (β = .580). Psychological safety also demonstrated a positive and significant effect on quality of life (β = .390). In addition, the direct effect of prosocial rule breaking on quality of life was positive and significant (β = .230). The indirect effect of prosocial rule breaking on quality of life through psychological safety was confirmed (β = .226), indicating the mediating role of psychological safety in this relationship. The structural model demonstrated a desirable fit with the data (χ²/df = 2.38, CFI = .951, RMSEA = .060). Furthermore, prosocial rule breaking explained 33.6% of the variance in psychological safety, while prosocial rule breaking and psychological safety together explained 41.2% of the variance in quality of life. Conclusion: The findings suggest that prosocial rule breaking, when occurring within psychologically safe organizational environments, can contribute positively to employees’ quality of life. Psychological safety plays a significant mediating role by reducing fear of negative consequences and encouraging constructive organizational behaviors. Therefore, creating supportive and psychologically secure workplace climates may enhance employees’ well-being, organizational participation, and adaptive performance among women employed in governmental organizations.
Copyright (c) 2025 Fatemeh Latifat (Author); Abdozahra Naami (Corresponding Author); Seyed Esmaeil Hashemi (Author)
TabNet Prediction of Depression Risk Among Women Through Rumination, Social Isolation, Self-Criticism, and Intolerance of Uncertainty
Objective: The present study aimed to predict depression risk among women using rumination, social isolation, self-criticism, and intolerance of uncertainty through an explainable TabNet machine learning model and to determine the relative importance of these predictors in identifying individuals at elevated risk for depressive symptoms. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional predictive study was conducted among 1,248 women residing in Kenya. Participants were recruited using a stratified convenience sampling strategy from community health centers, educational institutions, workplaces, and online platforms. Data were collected using standardized self-report measures, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression risk, the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS), the Lubben Social Network Scale-Revised (LSNS-6), the Levels of Self-Criticism Scale (LOSC), and the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12 (IUS-12). Following data preprocessing and standardization, the dataset was divided into training (70%), validation (15%), and testing (15%) subsets. A TabNet deep learning model was developed and optimized using cross-validation and hyperparameter tuning procedures. Model performance was evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R²), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean squared error (MSE). Feature importance and SHAP analyses were conducted to enhance interpretability. Findings: The TabNet model demonstrated excellent predictive performance, achieving an R² of .874 in the training set, .846 in the validation set, and .832 in the testing set. Correlation analyses indicated significant positive associations between depression risk and rumination (r = .71), self-criticism (r = .68), intolerance of uncertainty (r = .65), and social isolation (r = .63). Feature importance analysis revealed that rumination was the strongest predictor (33.8%), followed by self-criticism (27.9%), intolerance of uncertainty (22.1%), and social isolation (16.2%). SHAP analysis confirmed that higher levels of all four predictors contributed to increased depression risk. Classification analyses further demonstrated strong model accuracy, yielding an overall F1-score of .86 and particularly high performance in identifying severe depression risk cases. Conclusion: The findings indicate that depression risk among women can be accurately predicted using a combination of cognitive and social vulnerability factors. Rumination emerged as the most influential predictor, highlighting the central role of repetitive negative thinking in depressive symptomatology. The results support transdiagnostic models of emotional disorders and demonstrate the utility of explainable machine learning approaches for mental health screening, early detection, and personalized intervention planning.
Copyright (c) 2026 Kwame Owusu-Afriyie (Author); Mercy Atieno (Corresponding Author); Sanduni Jayawardena (Author)
Random Forest Prediction of Maternal Burnout Based on Parenting Stress, Perfectionism, Emotional Dysregulation, and Family Functioning
Objective: The present study aimed to predict maternal burnout among Malaysian mothers using a Random Forest machine learning model based on parenting stress, perfectionism, emotional dysregulation, and family functioning, and to determine the relative importance of these predictors in explaining maternal burnout risk. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional predictive study was conducted among 842 mothers residing in Malaysia who had at least one child under the age of 18 years. Participants were recruited through community organizations, parenting networks, educational institutions, and online platforms. Data were collected using the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA), Parenting Stress Scale (PSS), Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and Family Assessment Device (FAD). Descriptive statistics and correlational analyses were initially performed. Subsequently, a Random Forest regression model was developed to predict maternal burnout. The dataset was divided into training (80%) and testing (20%) subsets. Hyperparameter tuning was performed using grid search and five-fold cross-validation. Model performance was evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R²), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean squared error (MSE). Feature importance and SHAP analyses were conducted to identify the relative contribution of each predictor. Findings: The Random Forest model demonstrated strong predictive performance, accounting for 73.1% of the variance in maternal burnout (R² = .731). Parenting stress emerged as the most influential predictor (38.7%), followed by emotional dysregulation (29.1%), family functioning (19.6%), and perfectionism (12.6%). Maternal burnout was positively associated with parenting stress (r = .76), emotional dysregulation (r = .68), and perfectionism (r = .52), while family functioning showed a significant negative association (r = −.59). Incremental model analyses indicated that each predictor contributed unique explanatory value, increasing predictive accuracy from R² = .579 to R² = .731. SHAP analyses further revealed nonlinear relationships and substantial interactions between parenting stress and emotional dysregulation. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that maternal burnout can be predicted with high accuracy using machine learning techniques and that parenting stress, emotional dysregulation, family functioning, and perfectionism are significant contributors to burnout risk. Parenting stress and emotional dysregulation emerged as the most influential determinants, highlighting the importance of psychological and family-based interventions aimed at reducing parenting burden, improving emotion regulation capacities, strengthening family functioning, and addressing maladaptive perfectionistic tendencies. The study supports the utility of Random Forest models for identifying mothers at elevated risk of burnout and informing targeted prevention strategies.
Copyright (c) 2026 Tamar Gelashvili (Author); Aina Syafiqah Noor (Corresponding Author); Zainab Al-Obaidi (Author)
CatBoost-Based Prediction of Marital Satisfaction in Women From Attachment Security, Emotional Regulation, Relationship Commitment, and Communication Patterns
Objective: The present study aimed to develop and evaluate a CatBoost-based machine learning model for predicting marital satisfaction among married women using attachment security, emotional regulation, relationship commitment, and communication patterns as predictor variables. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional predictive study was conducted among 742 married women residing in Taiwan. Participants were recruited through community organizations, social networks, and online survey platforms. Data were collected using the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS) to assess marital satisfaction, the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Questionnaire (ECR-R) to measure attachment security, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) to evaluate emotional regulation, the Commitment Inventory to assess relationship commitment, and the Communication Patterns Questionnaire-Short Form (CPQ-SF) to examine communication patterns. Following data preprocessing and screening procedures, the dataset was divided into training (80%) and testing (20%) subsets. A CatBoost regression algorithm was developed using optimized hyperparameters identified through five-fold cross-validation. Model performance was evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R²), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE). Feature importance and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analyses were performed to determine the relative contribution and interpretability of each predictor variable. Findings: The CatBoost model demonstrated excellent predictive performance, explaining 84.7% of the variance in marital satisfaction within the testing dataset (R² = 0.847). Relationship commitment emerged as the most influential predictor (35.84%), followed by communication patterns (28.63%), attachment security (21.57%), and emotional regulation (13.96%). Correlation analyses revealed significant positive associations between marital satisfaction and attachment security (r = .68, p < .01), emotional regulation (r = .59, p < .01), relationship commitment (r = .76, p < .01), and communication patterns (r = .72, p < .01). SHAP analyses further indicated that higher levels of all predictor variables contributed positively to marital satisfaction predictions, while lower levels reduced predicted outcomes. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that marital satisfaction among women can be predicted with high accuracy using a CatBoost machine learning model. Relationship commitment, communication patterns, attachment security, and emotional regulation represent critical determinants of marital satisfaction, with commitment emerging as the strongest predictor. The study highlights the value of integrating relationship psychology with advanced machine learning techniques to improve understanding, prediction, and intervention planning for marital well-being.
Copyright (c) 2026 Zuzana Kováčová (Author); Jacob Sinclair (Corresponding Author); Luca Ferraro (Author)
Predicting Women's Psychological Flourishing Using XGBoost: The Relative Importance of Self-Compassion, Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, and Social Support
Objective: The present study aimed to predict psychological flourishing among women using the Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) machine-learning algorithm and to determine the relative importance of self-compassion, resilience, emotional intelligence, and perceived social support as predictors of flourishing. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional predictive study was conducted among 642 adult women residing in Canada. Participants were recruited through online platforms and community networks and completed a battery of standardized self-report measures assessing psychological flourishing, self-compassion, resilience, emotional intelligence, and perceived social support. After data screening and preprocessing, descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations were calculated. The dataset was randomly divided into training (80%) and testing (20%) subsets. XGBoost was employed as the primary predictive model due to its ability to capture complex nonlinear relationships and interactions among predictors. Hyperparameter tuning was performed using five-fold cross-validation and grid-search optimization procedures. Model performance was evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R²), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and explained variance. Feature importance analysis and SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations) values were used to determine the relative contribution and interpretability of each predictor. Findings: All predictor variables demonstrated significant positive correlations with psychological flourishing. The XGBoost model exhibited strong predictive performance, explaining 82.1% of the variance in flourishing scores on the test dataset (R² = .821), with low prediction errors (RMSE = 3.18; MAE = 2.47). Feature importance analysis revealed that resilience was the most influential predictor (34.1%), followed by self-compassion (28.6%), emotional intelligence (22.3%), and social support (15.0%). SHAP analyses confirmed that all predictors exerted positive effects on flourishing, with resilience demonstrating the strongest impact on model predictions. The findings indicated that internal psychological strengths contributed more substantially to flourishing than external support resources. Conclusion: The findings suggest that women’s psychological flourishing can be accurately predicted using machine-learning approaches and is primarily influenced by resilience, self-compassion, emotional intelligence, and social support. Resilience emerged as the strongest determinant of flourishing, highlighting the importance of adaptive coping capacities in promoting optimal psychological functioning. Interventions aimed at enhancing flourishing among women should prioritize the development of resilience and self-compassion while also strengthening emotional intelligence and supportive interpersonal relationships.
The Relationship Between Cybervictimization and Depression Among Women: The Mediating Roles of Rumination, Self-Esteem, and Social Support
Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between cybervictimization and depression among women and to investigate the mediating roles of rumination, self-esteem, and perceived social support in explaining this association. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional correlational study was conducted among 612 adult women residing in Canada during 2025–2026. Participants were recruited through online platforms and community networks using voluntary participation procedures. Data were collected using the Cyber Victimization Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Ruminative Responses Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analyses were performed using SPSS version 29. Structural equation modeling was conducted using AMOS version 29 to test the hypothesized mediation model. Model fit was evaluated using χ²/df, CFI, TLI, GFI, AGFI, RMSEA, and SRMR indices. Indirect effects were examined through bootstrap analysis with 5,000 resamples and 95% confidence intervals. Findings: Cybervictimization demonstrated a significant positive association with depression (r = .54, p < .001) and rumination (r = .49, p < .001), while showing significant negative associations with self-esteem (r = −.46, p < .001) and social support (r = −.41, p < .001). The structural model exhibited excellent fit to the data (χ²/df = 2.41, CFI = .957, TLI = .951, GFI = .931, AGFI = .914, RMSEA = .048, SRMR = .041). Cybervictimization significantly predicted depression directly (β = .24, p < .001) and indirectly through rumination, self-esteem, and social support. Rumination emerged as the strongest mediator (indirect effect = .219, 95% CI [.167, .278]), followed by self-esteem (indirect effect = .128, 95% CI [.087, .176]) and social support (indirect effect = .068, 95% CI [.039, .103]). The total indirect effect was significant (β = .415, 95% CI [.351, .489]), indicating partial mediation. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that cybervictimization is a significant predictor of depressive symptoms among women and that this relationship operates through multiple psychological pathways. Rumination, self-esteem, and social support each contribute significantly to explaining how online victimization affects mental health, with rumination representing the most influential mechanism. Interventions targeting maladaptive cognitive processing, self-worth, and interpersonal support may help reduce the psychological burden associated with cybervictimization and improve mental health outcomes among women.
Copyright (c) 2026 Elena Stoyanova (Author); Nathaniel Brooks (Corresponding Author); Minh Tran Quoc (Author)
The Relationship Between Childhood Emotional Neglect and Intimacy Avoidance in Women: The Mediating Roles of Rejection Sensitivity, Self-Compassion, and Attachment Anxiety
Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between childhood emotional neglect and intimacy avoidance in women and to investigate the mediating roles of rejection sensitivity, self-compassion, and attachment anxiety within a structural equation modeling framework. Methods and Materials: The present study employed a cross-sectional correlational design. The study population consisted of adult women residing in Canada during the 2025–2026 research period. A total of 548 women aged 18 to 62 years (M = 34.71, SD = 9.42) were selected through online convenience sampling and participated voluntarily. Data were collected using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire–Short Form (CTQ-SF), Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (RSQ), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), Experiences in Close Relationships–Revised (ECR-R), and Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS). Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analyses were performed using SPSS version 29. Structural equation modeling and bootstrap analyses with 5,000 resamples were conducted using AMOS version 29 to evaluate direct and indirect relationships among the study variables. Findings: The proposed structural model demonstrated excellent fit to the data (χ²/df = 2.22, CFI = .957, TLI = .951, GFI = .924, AGFI = .908, RMSEA = .047, SRMR = .041). Childhood emotional neglect was positively associated with rejection sensitivity (β = .58, p < .001), attachment anxiety (β = .29, p < .001), and intimacy avoidance (β = .17, p < .001), while negatively associated with self-compassion (β = −.44, p < .001). Rejection sensitivity positively predicted attachment anxiety (β = .45, p < .001) and intimacy avoidance (β = .23, p < .001). Self-compassion negatively predicted attachment anxiety (β = −.31, p < .001) and intimacy avoidance (β = −.18, p < .001). Attachment anxiety emerged as the strongest predictor of intimacy avoidance (β = .54, p < .001). Bootstrap analyses confirmed significant indirect effects through rejection sensitivity, self-compassion, attachment anxiety, and their serial pathways, indicating partial mediation. Conclusion: The findings suggest that childhood emotional neglect exerts a substantial influence on women's intimacy avoidance through interconnected cognitive, emotional, and attachment-related mechanisms. Rejection sensitivity and attachment anxiety function as risk factors, whereas self-compassion serves as a protective factor. Interventions designed to enhance self-compassion, reduce rejection sensitivity, and promote attachment security may help mitigate the long-term relational consequences of childhood emotional neglect and improve women's capacity for emotional intimacy and healthy interpersonal relationships.
Copyright (c) 2026 Keisuke Nakamura (Author); Rebecca Collins (Corresponding Author)
Predicting Women's Life Satisfaction Through Self-Esteem, Meaning in Life, Social Connectedness, and Cognitive Emotion Regulation: A Serial Mediation Model
Objective: The present study aimed to examine the direct and indirect relationships between self-esteem and life satisfaction among women and to investigate whether meaning in life, social connectedness, and cognitive emotion regulation function as serial mediators in this relationship. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional correlational study was conducted among 701 adult women residing in Canada. Participants were recruited through online platforms, community organizations, and university-affiliated networks. Data were collected using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Meaning in Life Questionnaire, Social Connectedness Scale–Revised, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analyses were performed using SPSS version 29. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted using AMOS version 29 to test the hypothesized serial mediation model. Model fit was evaluated using χ²/df, Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), Incremental Fit Index (IFI), Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI), Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR). Indirect effects were assessed using bias-corrected bootstrapping procedures with 5,000 resamples and 95% confidence intervals. Findings: The structural model demonstrated excellent fit to the data (χ²/df = 2.24, CFI = .962, TLI = .956, IFI = .963, GFI = .941, RMSEA = .042, SRMR = .038). Self-esteem significantly predicted meaning in life (β = .62, p < .001), social connectedness (β = .29, p < .001), and life satisfaction (β = .21, p < .001). Meaning in life significantly predicted social connectedness (β = .48, p < .001), cognitive emotion regulation (β = .37, p < .001), and life satisfaction (β = .39, p < .001). Social connectedness significantly predicted cognitive emotion regulation (β = .28, p < .001) and life satisfaction (β = .24, p < .001), while cognitive emotion regulation positively predicted life satisfaction (β = .18, p < .001). Bootstrap analyses revealed significant indirect effects through all mediation pathways. The serial mediation pathway from self-esteem to life satisfaction through meaning in life, social connectedness, and cognitive emotion regulation was statistically significant (β = .03, 95% CI [.01, .06]). The model explained 67% of the variance in life satisfaction. Conclusion: The findings indicate that self-esteem contributes to women’s life satisfaction both directly and indirectly through a sequence of existential, interpersonal, and emotional mechanisms. Meaning in life emerged as the strongest mediator, while social connectedness and cognitive emotion regulation further enhanced the pathway from self-esteem to life satisfaction. These results highlight the importance of integrated interventions targeting self-worth, life meaning, social relationships, and adaptive emotional regulation to promote women’s psychological well-being and overall life satisfaction.
Copyright (c) 2026 Katarína Horváthová (Author); Daniel Chen (Corresponding Author); Petar Ivanov (Author)
Modeling Women's Psychological Flourishing Based on Self-Compassion, Emotional Intelligence, Perceived Social Support, and Body Appreciation: The Mediating Role of Psychological Flexibility
Objective: The present study aimed to develop and test a structural model of women's psychological flourishing based on self-compassion, emotional intelligence, perceived social support, and body appreciation, with psychological flexibility serving as a mediating variable. Methods and Materials: This descriptive-correlational study employed a cross-sectional design and structural equation modeling (SEM). The study population consisted of adult women residing in Canada in 2026. A total of 620 women were selected through online convenience sampling and completed a battery of standardized questionnaires, including the Flourishing Scale, Self-Compassion Scale, Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Body Appreciation Scale-2, and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 29 and AMOS version 29. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analyses, confirmatory factor analyses, and structural equation modeling were performed. The significance of indirect effects was examined using a bootstrap procedure with 5,000 resamples and 95% confidence intervals. Findings: The measurement model demonstrated excellent fit to the data (χ²/df = 2.12, CFI = .957, TLI = .951, RMSEA = .042, SRMR = .038). Significant positive correlations were observed among all study variables (p < .001). Structural equation modeling revealed that self-compassion (β = .26, p < .001), emotional intelligence (β = .17, p < .001), perceived social support (β = .14, p < .001), body appreciation (β = .12, p < .001), and psychological flexibility (β = .42, p < .001) significantly predicted psychological flourishing. Furthermore, self-compassion (β = .35, p < .001), emotional intelligence (β = .24, p < .001), perceived social support (β = .18, p < .001), and body appreciation (β = .29, p < .001) significantly predicted psychological flexibility. Bootstrap analyses confirmed significant indirect effects of all predictor variables on flourishing through psychological flexibility. The model explained 64% of the variance in psychological flexibility and 78% of the variance in psychological flourishing. Conclusion: The findings indicate that self-compassion, emotional intelligence, perceived social support, and body appreciation contribute significantly to women's psychological flourishing both directly and indirectly through psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility emerged as a central mechanism linking personal strengths and social resources to optimal psychological functioning. These results highlight the importance of multidimensional strengths-based interventions aimed at enhancing flexibility, self-compassion, emotional competencies, social connectedness, and positive body image to promote flourishing and well-being among women.
Copyright (c) 2026 Martín Echeverría (Author); Sophie Langlois (Corresponding Author); José Maldonado (Author)
Modeling Marital Satisfaction Based on Differentiation of Self and Perceived Social Support: The Mediating Role of Psychological Well-Being
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of psychological well-being in the relationship between differentiation of self and perceived social support with marital satisfaction among married female teachers. Methods and Materials: The present study employed a descriptive-correlational design using path analysis modeling. The statistical population consisted of married female teachers working in elementary, lower secondary, and upper secondary schools in Shiraz during the 2023–2024 academic year who had at least one child. A total of 378 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale, Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale, the Differentiation of Self Inventory, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-26 and AMOS-18 software. Findings: The findings demonstrated that the proposed structural model had an acceptable fit (CFI = 0.99, GFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.04). Differentiation of self had a positive and significant direct effect on marital satisfaction (β = 0.108, p < 0.05) and also an indirect effect through psychological well-being (β = 0.276, p < 0.05). Perceived social support similarly showed significant direct (β = 0.124, p < 0.05) and indirect effects (β = 0.180, p < 0.05) on marital satisfaction through psychological well-being. Psychological well-being had a strong direct effect on marital satisfaction (β = 0.557, p < 0.05). Furthermore, differentiation of self and perceived social support significantly predicted psychological well-being, with coefficients of 0.496 and 0.323, respectively (p < 0.05). The model explained 45% of the variance in marital satisfaction and 38% of the variance in psychological well-being. Conclusion: The results indicated that psychological well-being plays an important mediating role in the relationship between differentiation of self, perceived social support, and marital satisfaction.
Copyright (c) 2025 Zahra Shafiei Sarvestani (Author); Hossein Pourshahriar (Corresponding Author); Omid Shokri (Author)
The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Mood Status in Women with Postpartum Depression
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on mood status in women with postpartum depression. Methods and Materials: This applied quasi-experimental study was conducted using a pretest-posttest design with a control group among women with postpartum depression who referred to psychological clinics in Tehran during 2023–2024. From a population of 80 women, 40 participants who met the inclusion criteria were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned into experimental and control groups (20 participants in each group). Data were collected using the Beck Depression Inventory and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire. The experimental group received eight 120-minute sessions of acceptance and commitment therapy based on Hayes’ protocol, while the control group received no intervention. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS version 23. Findings: The results demonstrated a significant reduction in mood status scores in the experimental group following the intervention compared with the control group. ANCOVA results indicated that the effect of group membership on overall mood status was statistically significant (F = 6095.615, p < 0.0001, η² = 0.994). Furthermore, MANCOVA findings revealed significant differences between the experimental and control groups in the subcomponents of mood status, including anxiety (F = 24.136, p < 0.001), depression (F = 13.869, p = 0.001), fatigue (F = 7.807, p = 0.008), confusion (F = 27.566, p < 0.001), anger (F = 20.662, p < 0.001), and vigor (F = 30.461, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Acceptance and commitment therapy was effective in improving mood status among women with postpartum depression. The intervention reduced anxiety, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion while enhancing positive mood and psychological flexibility.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mahdis Jafarbeglou (Author); Ameneh Sadat Kazemi (Corresponding Author)
The Effectiveness of Emotional Schema Therapy on Defense Mechanisms, Emotional Distress Tolerance, and Psychosomatic Symptoms in Married Women with Psychosomatic Disorder Symptoms
Objective: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of emotional schema therapy on defense mechanisms, emotional distress tolerance, and psychosomatic symptoms in married women with symptoms of psychosomatic disorder. Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study used a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The participants were married women with symptoms of psychosomatic disorder in Isfahan. Eligible participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of emotional schema therapy, while the control group received no psychological intervention during the study period. Data were collected using the Defense Style Questionnaire-40, the Distress Tolerance Scale, and the Psychosomatic Symptoms Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance and follow-up ANCOVA tests. Findings: The multivariate results showed a significant overall effect of emotional schema therapy on the combined outcomes, Wilks’ Λ = .246, F(5, 24) = 14.68, p = .001, η² = .75. Follow-up analyses showed significant effects on mature defense, F(1, 28) = 9.73, p = .004, η² = .25; immature defense, F(1, 28) = 6.25, p = .010, η² = .18; neurotic defense, F(1, 28) = 14.90, p = .001, η² = .34; emotional distress tolerance, F(1, 28) = 32.58, p = .001, η² = .53; and psychosomatic symptoms, F(1, 28) = 4.54, p = .040, η² = .14. Conclusion: Emotional schema therapy improved defensive functioning, increased emotional distress tolerance, and reduced psychosomatic symptoms in married women with psychosomatic disorder symptoms. Therefore, it may be considered an effective intervention for improving emotional and somatic functioning in this population.
Copyright (c) 2025 Zeinab Haghighi (Author); Milad Abedi Ghelich Gheshlaghi (Corresponding Author)
Lived Experiences of Couples Regarding Grief Caused by Recurrent Miscarriages in Infertile Women: A Phenomenological Study
Objective: This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of couples’ lived experiences of grief caused by recurrent miscarriages in infertile women. Methods and Materials: This qualitative study was conducted using a descriptive phenomenological approach. Seventeen participants (14 women and 3 men) with a history of at least two consecutive miscarriages and infertility were purposively selected from specialized infertility centers in Tehran and Qom in 2025. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews (individual and couple interviews) and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step method. Findings: Six main themes emerged: emotional turmoil (shock, anxiety, guilt, chronic sorrow, and hopelessness); continuity of loss (multilayered, disenfranchised, and complicated grief); distorted self-concept (sense of bodily defectiveness, doubts about gender identity, and reduced self-esteem); the relationship under the shadow of loss (mutual empathy, distance resulting from differences in grieving styles, and strengthened bond); coping and adaptation (individual strategies, social support, and the role of healthcare staff); and search for meaning (religious meaning-making, post-traumatic growth, and redefinition of goals). Conclusion: Recurrent miscarriage is an existential, relational, and culture-based phenomenon. Grief in this context is multilayered, chronic, and often overlooked. A deep understanding of this experience can contribute to the design of couple-centered interventions and enhance healthcare providers’ sensitivity.
Copyright (c) 2025 Hoda Zaraj (Author); Manijeh Firoozi (Corresponding Author); Katayon Vakilian , Fatimah Nosrati (Author)
The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Sexual Anxiety, Sexual Self-Disclosure, and Sexual Satisfaction in Women
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on sexual anxiety, sexual self-disclosure, and sexual satisfaction among women referring to counseling centers. Methods and Materials: The present study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest structure, including a control group and a follow-up phase. The statistical population consisted of women referring to counseling centers in Sabzevar in 2022. A total of 45 participants were selected through convenience sampling based on the inclusion criteria and randomly assigned to two experimental groups (15 participants in each group) and one control group (15 participants). Data collection instruments included the Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS), the Sexual Anxiety Questionnaire, and the Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale for spouses. The intervention consisted of eight 90-minute sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy conducted in group format. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc tests in IBM SPSS Statistics software. Findings: The findings demonstrated significant differences between the experimental and control groups in sexual anxiety (F = 11.69, p < .001), sexual self-disclosure (F = 8.46, p < .001), and sexual satisfaction (F = 20.21, p < .001). Significant time effects and group × time interaction effects were also observed across the three measurement stages. Bonferroni post hoc comparisons indicated that sexual anxiety significantly decreased from pretest to posttest and follow-up, whereas sexual self-disclosure and sexual satisfaction significantly increased in the experimental group. The absence of significant differences between posttest and follow-up stages suggested that the therapeutic effects remained stable over time. Conclusion: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy was effective in reducing sexual anxiety and improving sexual self-disclosure and sexual satisfaction among women. The findings suggest that ACT may enhance women’s psychological flexibility, emotional openness, and relational functioning, thereby contributing to improved sexual well-being and marital intimacy. Accordingly, ACT may be considered an effective therapeutic approach for use in counseling centers and sexual health interventions for women.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ali Akbar Azadvari (Author); Mohsen Doustkam (Corresponding Author); Baratali Ghavami (Author)
The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Distress Tolerance and Perceived Stress in Women with Social Anxiety Disorder
Objective: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on distress tolerance and perceived stress in women with social anxiety disorder. Methods and Materials: The present study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group. The statistical population consisted of women diagnosed with social anxiety disorder based on DSM-5 criteria in Tehran in 2024. A total of 30 participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned into an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). Data collection instruments included the Distress Tolerance Scale developed by Simmons and Gaher, the Perceived Stress Scale developed by Cohen et al., and the Social Anxiety Questionnaire developed by Connor. The experimental group participated in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy sessions for 8 consecutive weeks, with one 90-minute session per week, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS software after examining assumptions of normality and homogeneity of variances. Findings: The results of multivariate analysis of covariance indicated a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in distress tolerance and perceived stress at the posttest stage (p < 0.01). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy significantly increased distress tolerance and reduced perceived stress among women with social anxiety disorder. The findings demonstrated significant effects for distress tolerance (F = 72.851, p < 0.01, η² = 0.622) and perceived stress (F = 47.341, p < 0.01, η² = 0.614). Statistical power for both variables was reported as 1.00, indicating high explanatory strength of the intervention. Conclusion: The findings suggest that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is an effective psychological intervention for improving distress tolerance and reducing perceived stress in women with social anxiety disorder.
Copyright (c) 2025 Elahe Ebrahimi Alavige , Rahman Azizi , Seyed Erfan Siadati (Author); Fatemeh Abedi Firouzjaei (Corresponding Author); Sohila Karimi (Author)
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) and Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) on Impulsivity and Cognitive Emotion Regulation in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder
Objective: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) and Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) on impulsivity and cognitive emotion regulation in patients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group and a three-month follow-up phase. The statistical population consisted of female patients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder who were referred to psychiatric and psychological clinics in District 3 of Tehran during the first quarter of 2026. Forty-five participants were selected using purposive sampling and randomly assigned into three groups, including ISTDP, TFP, and a control group. The research instruments included the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), which were administered at the pretest, posttest, and follow-up stages. The TFP intervention was implemented in twelve weekly 60-minute sessions, whereas the ISTDP intervention was conducted in ten weekly 60-minute sessions. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance in IBM SPSS Statistics Version 26. Findings: The findings demonstrated that both ISTDP and TFP significantly reduced impulsivity and improved cognitive emotion regulation compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Significant interaction effects between time and group membership were observed for non-planning impulsivity and cognitive impulsivity, while no significant interaction effect was found for motor impulsivity. Moreover, significant improvements were observed in most components of cognitive emotion regulation, including self-blame, rumination, positive refocusing, planning-focused refocusing, positive reappraisal, and perspective taking. Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons indicated that TFP was more effective than ISTDP in improving adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and reducing cognitive dimensions of impulsivity. The treatment effects remained relatively stable during the three-month follow-up period. Conclusion: The findings suggest that both Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy and Transference-Focused Psychotherapy are effective interventions for reducing impulsivity and improving cognitive emotion regulation in patients with Borderline Personality Disorder. However, TFP demonstrated superior effectiveness in enhancing reflective and cognitive aspects of emotional regulation. These results highlight the importance of psychodynamic interventions that focus on emotional processing, personality organization, and reflective functioning in the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder.
Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy
Copyright (c) 2025 Siamak Gholami Mazinan (Author); Sara Hashemi (Corresponding Author); Farhad Jomehri (Author)
The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence, Job Satisfaction, and Life Satisfaction Among Female Nurses in Tehran
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction among female nurses working in hospitals in Tehran. Methods and Materials: This study was conducted using a descriptive-correlational design. The statistical population consisted of female nurses employed in public and private hospitals in Tehran during the 2025–2026 academic year, from which 312 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT), the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). The validity and reliability of all instruments had been confirmed in previous studies. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient analysis, and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings: The results revealed significant positive correlations among emotional intelligence, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction. Emotional intelligence showed a significant positive relationship with job satisfaction (r = 0.61, p < 0.01) and life satisfaction (r = 0.58, p < 0.01). Additionally, job satisfaction was positively associated with life satisfaction (r = 0.66, p < 0.01). The findings of multiple regression analysis demonstrated that emotional intelligence and job satisfaction jointly predicted life satisfaction among female nurses. The regression model was statistically significant (F = 174.68, p < 0.001) and explained 53% of the variance in life satisfaction. Job satisfaction emerged as the stronger predictor (β = 0.47, p < 0.001), while emotional intelligence also significantly predicted life satisfaction (β = 0.34, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The results suggest that healthcare organizations should implement emotional intelligence training programs and occupational support interventions to improve nurses’ mental health, professional functioning, and quality of life.
Copyright (c) 2025 Banafsheh Hoseini Firouzabadi (Author); Neda Ali beigi (Corresponding Author)
Comparing the Effectiveness of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Compassion-Focused Therapy on Death Anxiety and Negative Meta-Emotion in Women with Multiple Sclerosis
Objective: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) on death anxiety and negative meta-emotion in women with multiple sclerosis. Methods and Materials: This applied quasi-experimental study used a pretest–posttest design with a control group and follow-up phase. The statistical population consisted of women with multiple sclerosis in Tehran, Iran, during 2024–2025. A total of 45 participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned into three groups: SFBT, CFT, and control group, with 15 participants in each group. The experimental groups participated in eight 90-minute weekly group therapy sessions, while the control group received no psychological intervention during the study period. Data were collected using Templer’s Death Anxiety Scale and the Negative Meta-Emotion Scale developed by Mitmansgruber et al. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance, multivariate analysis, and Bonferroni post hoc comparisons in SPSS at a significance level of p < .05. Findings: The findings demonstrated significant time-by-group interaction effects for both death anxiety and negative meta-emotion. In the comparison between the SFBT and control groups, significant reductions were observed in death anxiety (Wilks’ Lambda = .234, F = 44.30, p = .001, partial η² = .766) and negative meta-emotion (Wilks’ Lambda = .156, F = 72.90, p = .001, partial η² = .844). Similarly, the comparison between the CFT and control groups revealed significant reductions in death anxiety (Wilks’ Lambda = .282, F = 34.30, p = .001, partial η² = .718) and negative meta-emotion (Wilks’ Lambda = .120, F = 165.50, p = .001, partial η² = .880). Bonferroni post hoc comparisons showed that both intervention groups differed significantly from the control group at posttest and follow-up stages. Although the CFT group showed descriptively greater reductions in death anxiety and negative meta-emotion, the direct differences between SFBT and CFT were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The results indicated that both Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Compassion-Focused Therapy were effective in reducing death anxiety and negative meta-emotion in women with multiple sclerosis, and the treatment effects remained stable at follow-up. These findings suggest that brief solution-oriented and compassion-based psychological interventions can serve as effective supportive treatments alongside medical care for women with chronic neurological illness. Both approaches may help patients improve emotional adjustment, reduce existential distress, and develop more adaptive emotional coping strategies.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mahsa Naeeni Davarani (Author); Mansoor Alimahdi (Corresponding Author); Amin Rafiepoor, Mehrdad Sabet (Author)
Using Machine Learning to Identify Latent Profiles of Somatosensory Amplification and Catastrophic Misinterpretation of Bodily Cues in Psychosomatic Patients
Objective: To utilize a machine learning framework to evaluate and interpret the predictive power and complex interactions of perceived efficacy, social network centrality, and collective identity strength on the advocacy behavior of women. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional quantitative study analyzed data from a stratified random sample of exactly women in South Africa. Validated self-report scales measured advocacy behavior, internal and external perceived efficacy, social network centrality (derived via an egocentric generator), and collective identity strength. Predictive modeling compared four machine learning algorithms (Gradient Boosting Machine, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and Logistic Regression) using an training and testing data partition. Model performance was evaluated using and -score metrics, with SHAP values extracted from the optimal model for feature interpretability. Findings: Tree-based ensemble methods significantly outperformed linear baselines, with the Gradient Boosting Machine achieving the highest of on the test set. SHAP analysis demonstrated that Collective Identity Strength (Mean Absolute SHAP Value of ) was the paramount predictor, followed by Social Network Centrality ( ). Furthermore, Internal Perceived Efficacy ( ) was a substantially stronger predictor than External Perceived Efficacy ( ). Bivariate analyses corroborated these algorithmic outputs, showing advocacy behavior correlated most strongly with Collective Identity Strength ( , ). Conclusion: Advocacy behavior in women is optimally predicted by a non-linear integration dominated by collective identity strength, structural network position, and internal self-efficacy.
Copyright (c) 2026 Brian Mwangi (Author); Kabelo Radebe (Corresponding Author); Iheanyi Onuigbo (Author)
Predicting Adherence to Complex Health Regimens in Women with Chronic Illness: A Random Forest Approach Integrating Health Literacy and Self-Efficacy
Objective: This study aimed to predict adherence to complex health regimens in women with chronic illnesses by evaluating the integrated predictive value of health literacy, self-efficacy, and sociodemographic factors using a Random Forest machine learning approach. Methods and Materials: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among 482 women with chronic illnesses recruited from referral hospitals in Jakarta and Surabaya, Indonesia. Data were collected via structured interviews utilizing validated tools, including the General Medication Adherence Scale ( ), the Health Literacy Questionnaire ( ), and the Chronic Disease Self-Efficacy Scale ( ). A Random Forest regression algorithm, optimized via grid search hyperparameter tuning on a 70/30 train-test split, was utilized to evaluate predictive accuracy and rank feature importance. Findings: The optimized Random Forest model (250 trees, maximum depth of 15) successfully explained 74% of the variance in regimen adherence ( ), demonstrating high accuracy with a Mean Absolute Error of 1.85 and a Root Mean Squared Error of 2.42. Feature importance analysis (measured by Gini impurity) revealed that the strongest predictors were self-efficacy in symptom control (0.185), health literacy in understanding information (0.142), self-efficacy in communicating with physicians (0.128), and health literacy in actively engaging with providers (0.115), heavily outperforming static sociodemographic factors such as age, income, and educational attainment. Conclusion: Adherence to complex health regimens is predominantly driven by modifiable psychological and cognitive assets—specifically symptom-management self-efficacy and health information comprehension—rather than static sociodemographic characteristics.
Copyright (c) 2026 Abulhudha Subair , Aditya Prasetyo (Author)
Effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy Training on Alexithymia and Perceived Stress in Women Affected by Infidelity
Objective: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of compassion-based positive couple therapy and emotionally focused couple therapy on emotional experience toward spouse among young couples in Tehran. Methods and Materials: This applied study employed a semi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group and a two-month follow-up phase. The statistical population consisted of young couples referring to counseling and psychological service clinics in District 5 of Tehran between July 2024 and March 2025. Using purposive sampling, 45 couples were selected and assigned into two experimental groups and one control group, with 15 couples in each group. The first experimental group received compassion-based positive couple therapy, while the second experimental group participated in emotionally focused couple therapy. Both interventions were implemented in fifteen two-hour sessions conducted twice weekly. The control group remained on a waiting list and received no intervention during the study period. Data were collected using the Emotional Experience Toward Spouse Questionnaire developed by Yusefi and Ghaffaralehi. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-26 through descriptive statistics, repeated measures analysis of variance, multivariate analysis of variance, and Bonferroni post hoc tests. Findings: The results indicated significant effects of group, time, and group-by-time interaction on positive and negative emotional experiences toward spouse (p < .001). Both compassion-based positive couple therapy and emotionally focused couple therapy significantly increased positive emotional experiences and reduced negative emotional experiences compared with the control group. Bonferroni post hoc comparisons demonstrated that the intervention groups achieved significantly better outcomes than the control group at the posttest stage (p < .001). Pairwise comparisons further revealed significant improvements from pretest to posttest and from pretest to follow-up in both intervention groups, while no significant differences were observed between posttest and follow-up stages, indicating the stability of treatment effects over time. Conclusion: The findings suggest that both compassion-based positive couple therapy and emotionally focused couple therapy are effective interventions for improving emotional experiences toward spouse among young couples. These approaches appear to strengthen emotional intimacy, emotional responsiveness, and adaptive emotional interactions while reducing negative emotional experiences and relational distress. Therefore, the application of emotion-centered and compassion-oriented therapeutic interventions may play an important role in promoting marital well-being and emotional stability among couples.
Copyright (c) 2025 Atena Nobakht Namini (Author); Ayatollah Karimi Baghmalek (Corresponding Author); Alireza Mollazade (Author)
Hierarchical Linear Modeling of Body Surveillance Frequency: Linking Media Consumption Intensity and Internalized Thin-Ideal in Adolescent Females
Objective: The objective of this study was to utilize a multilevel statistical framework to examine how individual-level media consumption intensity and internalized thin-ideal uniquely predict body surveillance frequency, and to determine whether the magnitude of these relationships varies significantly across distinct high school contexts among adolescent females. Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional design was employed, utilizing a sample of N=1348 Hungarian adolescent females nested within multiple high schools. Participants completed a battery of validated self-report psychometric instruments, including a media exposure inventory, the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 to assess thin-ideal internalization, and the surveillance subscale of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale. Data were analyzed using Hierarchical Linear Modeling to appropriately partition the variance between individual psychological traits (Level 1) and the overarching sociocultural school contexts (Level 2), while controlling for baseline Body Mass Index. Findings: The calculation of the unconditional null model yielded an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient of 12.8%, confirming that a significant proportion of the variance in body surveillance frequency is attributable to between-school differences. Main effects modeling demonstrated that both intense media consumption and the internalized thin-ideal were robust, significant positive predictors of body surveillance at Level 1. Random slopes analyses revealed that the predictive relationship between the internalized thin-ideal and body surveillance varied significantly across different educational environments; conversely, the random slope for media consumption intensity was not statistically significant, indicating a uniformly detrimental effect across all schools. Additionally, Body Mass Index exhibited a significant positive association with heightened self-surveillance behaviors. Conclusion: Body surveillance among adolescent females is a deeply context-dependent phenomenon where the psychological harm of internalizing societal beauty standards is significantly magnified or buffered by the specific sociocultural climate of the school environment, underscoring the critical need for systemic, whole-school interventions.
Copyright (c) 2026 Martín Echeverría (Author); Ádám Székely (Corresponding Author); Arna Sigurðardóttir (Author)
The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Marital Burnout and Social Anxiety in Married Women with Family Problems
Objective: The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on marital burnout and social anxiety among married women with family problems. Methods and Materials: The present study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test–post-test structure including an experimental group and a control group. The statistical population consisted of married women with family problems who referred to counseling centers in Tehran in 2024. Using convenience sampling, 30 participants who obtained high scores on the marital burnout and social anxiety questionnaires were selected and randomly assigned into an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). Data collection instruments included the Pines Couple Burnout Measure (CBM) and the Social Anxiety Scale. The experimental group participated in eight 2-hour sessions of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, while the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in IBM SPSS Statistics version 27. Finding: The results of the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test confirmed the normal distribution of the data (p > .05). The findings of univariate analysis of covariance demonstrated that, after controlling for pre-test scores, the effect of group membership on post-test marital burnout scores was significant (F = 32.78, p = .001, η² = .59). In addition, the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on post-test social anxiety scores was significant (F = 38.14, p = .001, η² = .56). The results indicated that participants in the experimental group showed significantly lower levels of marital burnout and social anxiety compared to the control group after the intervention. Conclusion: The findings suggest that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is effective in reducing marital burnout and social anxiety among married women with family problems.
Copyright (c) 2025 Afagh Jafari (Author); Seyedeh Somayeh Sayadi Kenari (Corresponding Author); Sara Sirjani , Seyedeh Sekineh Mousavi , Alireza Islami (Author)
The Effectiveness of Meanin-Centered Therapy on the Dimensions of Quality of Life in Women with Grief Syndrome Following Cancer-Related Amputation
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Meanin-Centered Therapy on the dimensions of quality of life in women experiencing grief syndrome following cancer-related amputation. Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group and a follow-up phase. The statistical population consisted of women with breast cancer experiencing death anxiety and grief symptoms following amputation, who were recruited from specialized oncology centers in Isfahan. A total of 36 participants were selected using purposive sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 18) and a control group (n = 18). The experimental group received an eight-session group-based Meanin-Centered Therapy intervention, while the control group did not receive any psychological intervention during the study period. Data were collected using the WHOQOL-BREF, the Grief Experience Questionnaire, and the Death Anxiety Scale. Data analysis was conducted using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests in SPSS-27, with a significance level set at p < 0.05. Findings: The results indicated significant effects of time, group, and the interaction between time and group on all dimensions of quality of life (p < 0.001). Participants in the experimental group showed significant improvements in physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environmental health at posttest compared to pretest, while no significant changes were observed in the control group. Bonferroni post-hoc analyses revealed that the differences between pretest and posttest, as well as between pretest and follow-up, were statistically significant (p < 0.001), whereas no significant differences were found between posttest and follow-up (p > 0.05), indicating stability of the intervention effects over time. Effect size indices demonstrated large practical significance across all variables. Conclusion: Meanin-Centered Therapy is an effective intervention for improving multiple dimensions of quality of life in women experiencing grief syndrome following cancer-related amputation, and its effects are sustained over time, suggesting its utility as a meaning-centered therapeutic approach in psychosocial oncology care.
Copyright (c) 2025 Nika Dardashtinia , Baharak Jahandar, Athar Abasian Najafabadi (Author); Gholamreza Talebi (Corresponding Author)