Zabihollah Abbaspour

Objectives: Aging and the increasing elderly population in the 21st century has become a global phenomenon, with Iran experiencing a more rapid increase than many other countries. Transferring a parent to a nursing home is a challenging process for caregivers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a model explaining the process of adapting to parental placement in a nursing home. Materials and Methods: This qualitative research utilized grounded theory. The participants were 13 individuals who had placed their parents in a nursing home. Purposeful sampling was used, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews, continuing until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data analysis employed Corbin and Strauss's three-stage coding process: open, axial, and selective coding. Findings: The main variable identified was "A challenging path and an expedient decision toward peace and stability." The general pattern included 64 initial codes, which were refined into 19 core components during the coding stages. Causal factors encompassed the caregiver's inability to meet the needs of the elderly parent and the child's perception of the parent's ongoing suffering. The underlying factors influencing the formation of the main variable included cultural and religious barriers, caregiver's insecure attachment, and physical, psychological, and financial limitations. Elements such as the parent's unconventional and inconsistent behaviors, the burden of caregiving-related injuries, lack of sibling responsibility in caregiving, family consensus on transferring the elderly, the elderly parent's consent to the transfer, fear of inadequate acceptance and care for the elderly parent, and difficulties and conflicts during the transfer process were identified as both facilitators and inhibitors.To address these challenges, participants employed strategies such as ensuring the maintenance and improvement of the parent's health, obtaining approval of the transfer from others, committing to maintaining continuous relationships with the elderly, and engaging in positive self-talk. The outcomes of this phenomenon included satisfaction for both the elderly and caregivers regarding the transfer, improvement in the elderly's condition post-transfer, and the persistence of internal conflicts within the caregiver due to the transfer. Conclusion: The decision to place a parent in a nursing home is a challenging path with both positive and negative consequences. The findings of this research can assist counselors, psychologists, and therapists in geriatrics by making the decision to place a parent in a nursing home more rational and facilitating the caregivers' process. Ultimately, this can lead to better adaptation and greater peace and stability for the family.

Background: Conflictual parent-adolescent interactions and parental psychological control to limit adolescents’ activities make them avoid their parents and then try to fill this emotional gap in other settings such as social media and networks. Objectives: The present study aimed to predict social media addiction among female adolescents based on parent-adolescent conflict and parental psychological control. Materials and Methods: Participants in this study were 412 female adolescents in Ahvaz city, who were divided into two groups: (1) with social media addiction (206 persons); and (2) without social media addiction (206 persons). The participants completed the Social Media Addiction Scale, Parent-Adolescent Conflict Scale, and Psychological Control Scale-Youth Self-Report. The data were analyzed with SPSS 25 software. Results: Discriminant analysis showed that the levels of parent-adolescent conflict (conflict with the father and mother) and parental psychological control were significantly different between the two groups of adolescents (i.e., with and without social media addiction). Furthermore, parent-adolescent conflict and parental psychological control, either alone or together, could predict social media addiction among adolescents. Conclusions: Conflict between parents and adolescents and parental psychological control can gradually push adolescents toward addiction to social media. Accordingly, it is important to pay attention to parent-adolescent conflict and parental psychological control in order to prevent social media addiction among adolescents.

Background: Parents are the main caregivers in raising children, and the quality and quantity of knowledge of parenting styles and child-rearing practices are essential for improving the growth, health, and correct upbringing of children. Thus, correct upbringing is one of the very important issues as it requires parental responsibility. To this end, the present study aimed to identify the components of effective parenting. Methods: This study was conducted using a conventional qualitative content analysis method. The participants were 9 family counseling specialists in Ahvaz, who were selected using homogeneous purposive sampling. The data were collected through in-depth and exploratory interviews. The collected data were analyzed using the six-step thematic analysis method proposed by Braun and Clarke. Results: The analysis of the participants’ experiences revealed 5 main themes in effective parenting, including conscious knowledge, cohesion and intimacy in marital relationship, scientific application of direct and indirect parenting practices, a structured family, and creating a context for growth and availability. Conclusion: The results reported in this study can have some implications for parents in using effective child-rearing practices. Besides, family counselors and psychologists can use the results of this study to increase parents’ awareness of effective parenting components and patterns by teaching the components of effective parenting to parents.

Background: Children's sexual development and behavior are important aspects of their overall development and education and are a significant concern for parents. These behaviors can lead to harm to children. The emotional climate and sexual environment within a family can influence the development of sexual behaviors. Objectives: This study aimed to predict sexual behavior problems in children, both with and without pre-existing sexual problems, based on their family's emotional climate and exposure to sexual environments. Methods: The present study was an applied and descriptive-correlational study that utilized discriminant analysis as its primary analysis method. The study population consisted of parents with children between the ages of 6 and 12 in Ahvaz in 2021. A total of 294 parents were selected for the study using voluntary sampling. The data were collected using the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory (CSBI), the Family Emotional Atmosphere Scale, and the Family Sexuality Scale (FSS). The data collected were analyzed using discriminant analysis. Results: The study's findings indicate that the emotional climate within a family and exposure to sexual situations within the family, both individually and in combination, can distinguish children who exhibit sexual behavior problems and those who do not. The conventional linear discriminant analysis (LDA) results indicated a significant combined power of the two variables (WL = 0.70; Kappa = 0.49; P = 0.001). The discriminant analysis results were significant for the family emotional climate (WL = 0.79; Kappa = 0.34) and exposure to the family sexual environment (WL = 0.80; Kappa = 0.36; P = 0.001). Conclusions: Based on the findings of the present study, it can be argued that the emotional climate within a family and exposure to sexual behavior within the family environment significantly impact the development of problematic sexual behaviors in children.

Background: Domestic violence, including child abuse, spousal abuse, elder abuse, and parent abuse, is a common issue in the modern world. Parent abuse is one of the phenomena that has been the focus of attention in recent decades due to its negative effects on the family system. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the predictors of parent abuse in boy students. Methods: This present study was a correlational study. The statistical population was all second-grade boy high school students and their mothers in Kuhdasht-Iran in 2020. In this regard, 380 students were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling. Instruments were the parent abuse scale (boy version), child exposure to domestic violence (CEDV), parent marital conflict, parenting style inventory (PSI), Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and Samani Family Cohesion Questionnaire. The students and their mothers completed the instruments. The data were analyzed with Pearson correlation and regression. Results: The findings showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between domestic violence, marital conflict, authoritarian and permissive parenting styles with parent abuse, and there was a significant negative relationship between family coherence, authoritative parenting style, and students' self-esteem with parent abuse. The results from stepwise regression showed that domestic violence, authoritative and permissive parenting styles, and self-esteem were the strongest predictors of parent abuse. Conclusions: According to our findings, the negative interactions and the children’s exposure to violence within the family are basic triggers for the occurrence of mother abuse.

Background: Dissatisfaction with marital relations and an emotional breach between couples increase the risk of divorce. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of emotionally-focused couples therapy on the marital intimacy and harmony of maladjusted couples in Behbahan, Iran. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The sample population included the maladjusted couples vising the counseling centers in Behbahan in 2020. Via convenience sampling, 30 couples were selected and randomly divided into two groups of experimental and control (n = 15 couples per group). Data were collected using the personal assessment of intimacy in relationships and the Marital Harmony Questionnaire. The experimental group received nine sessions of emotionally-focused couples therapy (90-minute sessions, twice a week), and the control group received no intervention. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 25. Results: The mean posttest scores of marital intimacy and harmony were 115.63 ± 10.22 and 31.66 ± 2.21 in the experimental group and 91.39 ± 9.04 and 22.93 ± 2.19 in the control group, respectively. A significant difference was observed between the experimental and control groups in terms of marital intimacy and harmony (P < 0.001). In addition, emotionally-focused couples therapy significantly enhanced marital intimacy and harmony in the experimental group. Conclusions: According to the results, emotionally-focused couples therapy could effectively improve the marital indicators of the maladjusted couples (intimacy and harmony).

Background: Marital satisfaction is one of the main factors affecting the quality of life in marital relationships. It refers to individuals’ positive attitudes toward their marital relationship, and marital dissatisfaction is a negative and displeased attitude toward various aspects of marital relationship. Objectives: The present study aimed to explore the causal relationship between attachment styles and marital satisfaction regarding the mediating role of Gottman’s marital communication model. Methods: The statistical population encompassed all university students in Ahvaz in the academic year 2019 - 2020. The multi-stage random sampling method was used, and 230 persons were selected as the study samples. Hudson's Index of Marital Satisfaction (IMS), Coolins and Reed's Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), and Gottman's Communication Skills Scale (FHS) were also used to collect the data. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 26 and AMOS software version 24. Results: The results indicated that the study model well-fitted the study population, and all direct paths were statistically significant. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between secure attachment, anxiety-insecure attachment, and avoidance-insecure attachment with marital satisfaction mediated by Gottman's communication skills (P ≤ 0.001). Conclusions: Given the effect of Gottman’s couple attachment styles and four communication skills on marital satisfaction, their effectiveness in marital satisfaction is proved. Accordingly, therapists are recommended to implement educational and treatment programs containing cognitive and preventive attachment styles and Gottman’s communication skills to promote couples' marital satisfaction.

Background: Substance abuse and addiction are serious problems all around the world. Increased substance use tendency in adolescents has attracted the researchers' and therapists' attention. Objectives: The current study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of family-based treatment on craving in girl students with substance abuse. Patients and Methods: In this multiple baseline experimental single case study, four families and their girl adolescents who were engaged in substance abuse were selected using the purposive sampling technique. family-based treatment (FBT) was performed in three phases of baseline, intervention, and follow-up. Data were collected using the Craving Beliefs Questionnaire (CBQ). The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics methods. Results: This study demonstrated that FBT could significantly decrease the craving, 40.08% improvements. Conclusions: FBT can be considered as an effective strategy for changing the dysfunctional cycle of the family system and decreasing substance use tendency in adolescents.

Iranian parents consider themselves responsible for the behavior and actions of their children and think that the mistreatment of children is a sign of their defect and impropriety.The main purpose of this research was to develop and validate the parent abuse scale (girl-mother version), including construct validity, convergent validity, and internal consistency.The study population was all students’ mothers from high school and their adolescent daughters. Two samples were used in this study. In the first sample, 409 people were selected for exploratory factor analysis and in the second stage, a random sample of 188 mothers was selected as a multi-stage cluster sampling for confirmatory factor analysis. Mothers and their daughters have completed parent abuse questionnaire (girl-mother) and attitude scale of the child toward mother, respectively.The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that this scale consisted of both physical and emotional parent abuse scale factors. The confirmatory factor analysis results confirmed the two-factor structure of this scale. Convergent validity of parent abuse scale was calculated by correlating it with child attitude scale toward her mother. The correlation coefficient of mean in subjects in parent abuse scale was significant with child attitude toward her mother scale. The internal consistency of the parent-mother scale and its factors were calculated according to Cronbach’s alpha coefficients and confirmed with the correlation coefficients of 0.93 and 0.75.According to the results, the parent abuse scale had sufficient validity and reliability in Iranian samples.