Robot-based psychological intervention program for the prevention of child sexual abuse: An overview

Sexual abuse of children is an important issue with severe consequences, so self-care education programs increase children's awareness, knowledge, and skills against sexual abuse. It has been considered as one of the priorities of health and treatment issues in different countries of the world. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the program of psychological interventions with a robot on the sexual care of children. The results showed that psychological interventions with robots are effective on children's sexual care. The prevention program is to prevent sexual victimization of children by helping them learn skills to protect themselves and teach them to recognize good and bad contact and seek a trusted adult for help and can be considered as a treatment method by counselors and psychologists. (Neuropsychopharmacol Hung 2023; 25(1): 18-25).

Assessing the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy on alleviation of anxiety in pre-school children: A randomized controlled trial

Objective & background

Human-animal interactions are considered as being valuable and beneficial for the psychological health. Recently Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) has been included for client-therapist interaction. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy in alleviation of anxiety in pre-school children.

Method

The study was carried out as a randomized controlled trail with pre-test and post-test design and control group. The trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry with the registration id of ChiCTR2000034145. The study consisted of 33 anxious 5-7years old children (participated in a welfare anxiety screening plan held by Counseling Center, Tehran-Iran) between 2018 and 2019. The participants took part in the study voluntarily. The subjects were randomly divided into experimental and control groups (10 in each group). The experimental group was exposed to 8 sessions of animal therapy. The research instrument used in the present study was Spence Preschool Anxiety Scale (Parent Form) and the data were analyzed on SPSS 21 software.

Results

The results showed that animal therapy had a significant effect on general anxiety after adjusting for post-test assessments (f = 32.49 and p = 0.001) with the effect equal to 0.70. In addition, the effect of animal therapy on anxiety of separation (f = 5.63, p = 0.03), generalized anxiety disorder (f = 8.56, p = 0.01), social phobia (f = 14.58, p = 0.002) and specific anxiety (f = 11.63, p = 0.005) was significant with effects equal to 0.30, 0.40, 0.53, and 0.47, respectively. The results also showed that the effect of animal therapy on obsession was not significant (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Therefore, it can be concluded that Animal therapy is effective in alleviating anxiety in children. It supports for the inclusion of AAT in therapeutic practice with children having anxiety.

A review of the theory of motivational psychotherapy

Reviewing the history of theories associated with psychotherapy establishes that motivational psychotherapy (MPT) has been centered on environmental mind, lies, selfishness, and rich mind, which are often rooted in previous theories but portrayed in an effectively different manner. By creating new concepts in the field of psychotherapy, MPT provides a useful and practical way to treat psychological problems. The analytical method has been also exploited to reflect on the theory of MPT. The results of this study revealed that MPT, recruiting the concept of rich mind, opens a new path for clients to effortlessly remove many problems in order to reach perfection and nurture their soul.

Spiritual Health in Iranian University Students: a Systematic Review and meta-analysis

Background and Aim: Spiritual health (SH), as the guiding force that maintains equilibrium in three dimensions of health - physical, mental, and social - can significantly contribute to the quality of life in humans. Therefore, the present study was to reflect on the levels of SH among Iranian university students. Materials and Methods: This study was fulfilled, employing a systematic review and meta-analysis, from November to December 2020. All the relevant articles, focusing on SH assessment in Iranian university students, published in seven valid databases between 2012 and 2020 were accordingly collected and evaluated. Finally, 20 articles were selected and analyzed using the Stata software. Results: A total of 20 studies conducted in Iran based on a sample size of 4805 individuals was found during the time period of 2012 and 2021. Spiritual Health in Iranian University Students was estimated to be 80.50 (95% CI, 73.56% - 87.44%). Conclusion: Considering the synthesis of the reviewed articles, SH was reported to be at high levels in nearly all Iranian university students, as expected in the Iranian-Islamic society. (Neuropsychopharmacol Hung 2022; 24(2): 78-84).

Psychoeducational Group Therapy for sexual function and marital satisfaction in Iranian couples with sexual dysfunction disorder

Background

Having sexual relations plays a very important role in the success and scope of procreation. Understanding sexual function can lead to sexual satisfaction and ultimately to marital satisfaction and reconciliation of spouses.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a psychoeducational programme on sexual function and marital satisfaction of Iranian couples.

Materials and methods

This is a semi-experimental pre-test and post-test study with control group. The statistical population included all couples diagnosed with sexual dysfunction referred to Bahar Consulting Center in Mashhad in 2019. A total of 40 individuals were randomly assigned to the two treatment conditions which were experimental (n = 20) and control (n = 20) forming two groups. The individuals assigned to experimental condition experienced a 10 session psychoeducational program and the control condition comprised of Treatment As Usual (TAU) which was based on medical and general counseling regime. The data collection tool was marital satisfaction and sexual function questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 22 software.

Results

there is a significant difference between the amount of sexual function and marital satisfaction before and after the test in experimental group (p < 0.01). The results of this study showed that Psychoeducational Group Therapy improved the sexual performance and improved marital satisfaction.

Conclusion

Psychoeducational Group Therapy helps to increase marital satisfaction and sexual functioning of married couples. Therefore, this intervention is recommended as an effective program for improving marital satisfaction and sexual performance of couples. It can help to strengthen the foundation of the family.

A systematic review of prevalence of Depression in Iranian patients

BACKGROUND

Depression is a common mental health disorder which has become a global public health issue. It constitutes around 35 to 45% of mental health problems in Iran and covers 8% to 20% of population of Iran. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence of depression among the Iranian patients through systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHOD

For the present study information were searched in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and in Iranian databases including Iran Medex, SID, MedLib, Scientific Information Database, MagIran, using the following keywords: "depression", "prevalence" and Iran. The data from these databases were analyzed through meta-analysis (random effects model). Heterogeneity among the results of the studies was examined by I2 index. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were used in this study, and statistical analyses were performed using STATA Ver.16.

RESULTS

A total of 46 studies conducted in Iran based on a sample size of 2960 individuals was found during the time period of 2010 and 2018. Prevalence of depression among Iranian patients was estimated to be 34.26 (95% CI, 24.12% - 44.10%). Thus, the findings indicated that there exists a moderate prevalence of depression which is continuously growing.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of depression in Iran is moderate and growing which is alarming as it may turn out to be a massive increase in incidence rate of depression in coming years. This indicates a greater risk for Iranian population and calls for effective measures to be taken to control the mental health problems among Iranian patients.

Artificial Intelligence applications and psychology: an overview

Psychotherapy endows a sense of control in patients gripped with emotional conflicts which allow them to handle their reflexes and regain composure through conscious and behavioral alterations. These transformational changes can be brought about by improving their listening skills, observational capacities, creating awareness, making them more attentive and intervening. Conventional psychotherapy calls for one-to-one sessions during treatment. Considering the increased access to information technology in our normal living, the thought of human interaction being replaced by IT tools came to existence. Specialized tools and techniques are employed through the course of therapy which not only alters but also accentuates their cognitive and effective understanding. The idea of amalgamating these two broad ambits - the complexities of psychology and dynamism of artificial intelligence has gained momentum in recent times. The previous reluctance of a few psychologists regarding inculcating expert systems into routine practice due to maybe employment-related insecurities or being swapped by a computer led to underutilization of the latent competence of using IT. Primarily, human behavior itself cannot be copied in totality by technology, and AI has a great deal to cover in this regards, but researchers are doing their best to deliver on these premises. Apart from this patient resistance to this encroachment of technology should also be looked at critically for gaining mass acceptance. This review focuses on how machine intelligence through computer-implemented psychotherapeutic tools can enhance self-awareness.

Barriers of medication adherence in patients with type-2 diabetes: a pilot qualitative study

Background: Patients with type-2 diabetes have poor adherence to the therapeutic regime. It can result in various complications in body systems associated with undesirable metabolic control. Purpose: The present study aimed to explore the inhibitors of medication adherence in patients with type-2 diabetes. Patients and methods: This was a qualitative study using a conventional content analysis method. Participants were 12 patients with type-2 diabetes referred to the diabetes unit in Saghez, Kurdistan Province in 2015. The purposive sampling method was used with a maximum variation in sampling, and data collection was continued until data saturation was achieved. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Interviews were recorded and immediately transcribed verbatim. Results: Data analysis led to the development of four main categories including disbelief in medical explanatory/prescriptive knowledge, lived experiences of the disease, challenges of everyday life, and interactive/economic challenges. The main inhibitors were the patient's understanding of his/her own physical status and strategies used for maintaining the internal balance. Healthcare providers need to take patients' perceptions into account when they are prescribing medicinal diets. Another inhibitor was the incidents of everyday life, including economic and social challenges, and interactions to receive education and skills for living with the disease. Conclusion: Beliefs of the medical team and patients should be brought closer to each other, and patients' trust in the medical team should be increased. Nurses should consider the unique experience of every patient when giving healthcare recommendations, and try to limit the existing challenges as much as possible.

Comparative influence of a single allergen exposure on the different components of airway response to methacholine

We compared the effects of an allergen challenge on airway responsiveness to methacholine, the slope of the dose-response curve (DRC) and post-methacholine fall in forced vital capacity (FVC) or forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/FVC, and determined whether any changes in these parameters were related to the presence and magnitude of the late asthmatic response (LAR) in mild stable asthma. Twenty-three allergic asthmatic subjects had an allergen challenge, preceded and followed 24 (n = 12) and/or 48 (n = 22) h later by a methacholine challenge. Sixteen subjects had a dual asthmatic response to the allergen. On the post-allergen methacholine challenge, as compared with the pre-allergen test, differences in mean fall in FVC or FEV1/FVC at 20% fall in FEV1 and the slope of the DRC did not achieve statistical significance, even in the group with LAR, which showed a significant increase in airway responsiveness at 24 h. There was, however, a correlation between allergen-induced changes in PC20 and (1) the change in post-methacholine FVC fall in the LAR group at 48 h, and (2) the change in the slope of the DRC in the early-asthmatic-response group at 24 h. In conclusion, allergen-challenge-induced changes in airway response to methacholine are heterogeneous among asthmatic subjects and although it may increase airway responsiveness (PC20), particularly in late responders, it minimally affects the other aspects of airway response to methacholine, suggesting that a more powerful or sustained allergic stimulus is required to modify the latter.

Effects of acute allergen exposure on posture-induced changes in airway responsiveness to methacholine in asthma

BACKGROUND

The influence of an allergen challenge on recumbency induced changes in airway responsiveness to methacholine was documented in seven nonsmoking subjects with stable mild asthma (3M, 4F).

METHODS

All subjects spent four hours (8 to 12 AM) in the supine position before and 24 hours after an allergen challenge that induced a dual asthmatic response. FEV1 was measured hourly in the supine position and a methacholine challenge was done in the sitting position before and after each 4-hour period. None used bronchial antiinflammatory drugs before or during the study.

RESULTS

The mean maximal fall in FEV1 (+/- SEM) was 31.0 +/- 1.1% within one hour of the last allergen inhalation and 27.5 +/- 4.9% between two and eight hours later. Presupine/postsupine session FEV1 (%pred +/- SEM) was unchanged either at baseline or postallergen challenge sessions, with values of 89.3 +/- 2.7/88.3 +/- 5.1 and 86.6 +/- 4.2/87.4 +/- 5.7. Presupine/postsupine PC20 methacholine was slightly reduced but this did not reach statistical significance (P > .05), with a mean PC20 (mg/mL) of 0.83 +/- 1.44/0.52 +/- 1.46 (preallergen session); 0.55 +/- 1.44/0.39 +/- 1.37 (postallergen challenge session). This delta PC20 (baseline/post-session) did not differ between the two sessions (P > .05). The delta PC20 was not correlated with the magnitude of the late asthmatic response to allergen nor the postallergen increase in airway responsiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that an acute allergen challenge does not significantly increase recumbency-induced changes in airway response to methacholine in patients with mild asthma. The possibility of a significant influence of pro-inflammatory stimuli on recumbency-induced changes in bronchomotor tone in more severe patients or if the stimulus is repeated should be further assessed.

Influence of posture on expiratory flows and airway responsiveness to methacholine in asthma

This study looked at the effects of posture on the morning/evening expiratory flows and airway responsiveness to methacholine. Fourteen nonsmoking subjects with stable asthma (eight men, six women) were included in the study. Subjects were randomly allocated to spend 4 h in the supine or seated position on separate days, in the morning from 8 to 12 AM and in the evening from 8 to 12 PM. The FEV1 was measured hourly in the assigned position. Before and after each 4-h period, a methacholine inhalation test was done in the sitting position. In the morning study, baseline FEV1 measurements on the supine and seated days were not different. There was no significant difference between the baseline and postsession FEV1 on both days (baseline and postsession FEV1 percent predicted +/- SEM; seated: 83.6 +/- 2.9, 83.8 +/- 3.3; supine: 85.8 +/- 2.8, 85.4 +/- 3.7; n = 13). delta FEV1 (baseline/postsession) was not different between the two sessions. In the evening study, baseline FEV1 measurements on the supine and seated days were similar. FEV1 decreased after both sessions, although this difference reached statistical significance only in the supine position (baseline and postsession FEV1 percent predicted +/- SEM; seated: 90.0 +/- 4.1, 84.9 +/- 4.1, p = 0.08; supine: 90.7 +/- 3.1, 82.9 +/- 4.5, p = 0.02; n = 8). delta FEV1 (baseline/postsession) was not different between the two evening sessions. In the morning, after the seated position, PC20 methacholine was unchanged (mean PC20 [mg/ml]: beginning = 1.00, end = 1.02) while after the supine position it was slightly reduced from a mean of 0.97 to 0.73 mg/ml. This last reduction was mainly observed in the most hyperresponsive subjects and its magnitude was significantly correlated with baseline PC20 (r = 0.637, p = 0.024). The increase in methacholine response (delta PC20) after the supine session was significantly higher than after the seated session. In the evening study, there was a slight reduction in PC20 after both sessions, but this was only significant after the supine position (mean PC20 baseline and postsession [mg/ml]: seated: 0.63, 0.47, p = 0.08; supine: 0.62, 0.44, p = 0.04). No difference was found between delta PC20 of the two sessions. We conclude that the supine position does not have persistent effects on FEV1, but it may increase airway responsiveness in the most hyperreactive subjects.

Perception of acute or progressive resistive loads in normal and asthmatic subjects

To determine if the rapidity of increase in airway resistance influences its perception, we looked at the perception of acute and progressive expiratory resistive loads in 9 controls (CN) and 9 asthmatics (AS). Each had 4 single-blind tests in a randomized order, during which resistances were increased from 0 to 24 cm H2O/l/s in 1, 3 or 6 steps or decreased in 6 steps. Dyspnea scores were recorded on a modified Borg scale (0-10). FEV1 and lung volumes were measured in all subjects initially and after the last resistance applied during tests C and D. Tidal volume, respiratory rate, the ratio of inspiratory time over total breathing time (Ti/Ttot) and minute ventilation were measured throughout each test. Borg scores were not significantly different from one test to the other. Overall, AS tended to have a higher perception of resistive loads than CN, although it did not reach statistical significance. FEV1 did not change significantly in both groups between the tests and before and after application of resistances. Functional residual capacity was not significantly different between AS and CN or before and after the tests. Residual volume was higher in AS (mean of the 4 tests: 1.6 +/- 0.05 l) compared to CN (1.1 +/- 0.14 l) (p = 0.003) but was unchanged after the applied resistances. Ti/Ttot ratio was similar for AS and CN and decreased significantly from 0 to 24 cm H2O/l/s in both groups (all tests, p < 0.01). Respiratory rate was higher in CN than in AS at all resistances (p < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)