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Background and Aim: The coronavirus pandemic has had a negative impact on the health and well-being of communities and individuals around the world. One of the concerns about the COVID-19 epidemic is the impact of social isolation due to social distancing on the mental health of older adults. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mental health and loneliness among seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 211 retirees of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences were selected by available sampling method in 2021. Data were collected through the Demographic, Mental Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Adult Social and Emotional Feeling Questionnaire (SELSA-S). Data were analyzed using paired t-test, one-way analysis of variance, covariance, and chi-squared tests. The significance level was considered 0.05. Results: The mean age of participants was 71.26 years and the results showed a significant relationship between feeling lonely and mental health (r = 0.535, p = 0.001). There were statistically significant relationships between mental health and social functioning (r = −0.204, p ≥ 0.001) and depression (r = 0.501, p = 0.001) and also between mental health and three subscales of loneliness: romantic loneliness (r = 0.001, p = 0.001), social loneliness (r = 0.493, p = 0.001), and family loneliness (r = 0.289, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Feeling lonely during the coronavirus disease pandemic has a negative effect on the mental health of older adults; therefore, it is necessary for mental health professionals to improve the mental health of the elderly with proper planning and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Appropriate self-management (SM) is crucial in controlling epilepsy and improving self-efficacy, medication adherence and avoidance of seizure triggers in patients with epilepsy (PWE. The aim of this study was to evaluate SM and its predictors among adult PWE in Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021. The participants were 335 adult PWEs that were selected from healthcare settings in Hamadan, Iran. Epilepsy Self-Management Scale (ESMS) was used to measure patients' self-management behaviors. Data were analyzed using the independent samples ttest, Pearson's and Spearman's correlation analyses and multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean score of SM was 114.37±11, indicating moderate level of SM, and the mean scores of SM in the medication management, seizure management, and safety management subscales were significantly more than the mean scores of the other subscales (P < 0.05). Age, place of residence, marital status, seizure type, seizure frequency, and epilepsy duration significantly predicted 53% of the variance of SM (adjusted R square = 0.532). CONCLUSION: PWEs have moderate SM and need SM-related education, particularly about lifestyle management and information management. Predictors of SM should be considered to boost SM practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Breast cancer is a multidimensional crisis for women and their spouses that affects every aspect of their life. Coping with this disease requires investigating and resolving the challenges faced by all those affected by it. The present study was conducted to clarify these challenges on the basis of lived experiences of the spouses of women with breast cancer. Method: The present qualitative research performed an interpretive phenomenological analysis in Iran. Purposive sampling was employed to select twenty spouses of women with breast cancer. The data collected through unstructured face-to-face interviews were analyzed using van Manen's method. To ensure the rigor of the study, Lincoln and Guba's criteria were evaluated in the qualitative process. Results: Lived experiences of the spouses of the women with breast cancer in coping with challenges included the four themes of emotional confusion, shouldering the burden of care, psychophysical suffering caused by the disease and life without cohesion. Conclusion: Spouses of the women with breast cancer in the Iranian community faced several challenges and issues. The socioeconomic support provided by supporting organizations and medical personnel appear to help moderate these challenges and improve coping in this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Mothers of children with thalassemia usually experience many sufferings and challenges in caring of their children. The present study aimed to explore the experiences of mothers caring for their children with thalassemia. METHODS: In this qualitative study, 14 mothers caring for their children with thalassemia in Hamedan and Babol Cities, Iran were selected using purposeful sampling, from December 2019 to August 2020. Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Graneheim and Lundman's approach of conventional content analysis was used for data analysis. RESULTS: After data analyzing, four themes, including physical distress, psychological suffering, hellish life, and self-negligence, as well as nine categories, including the mother's physical problems, physical weakness, confusion, painful emotions, restless life, involvement in a painful caring process, turmoil in the family, neglect of one's health, and disregard for the occurrence of psychosomatic illnesses, were extracted. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide a broad range of contextspecific challenges that mothers of thalassemic child faced during caring of their children that can affect different aspects of their life and health. Thus, mothers of children with thalassemia need various types of support such as social, emotional, and informational support during caring process of their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human brain is considered as a self-organizing system with self-similarities at various temporal and spatial scales called “fractals”. In this scale-free system, it is possible to decode the complexity of information processing using fractal behavior. For instance, the complexity of information processing in the brain can be evaluated by fractal dimensions (FDs). However, it is unclear how over-elaboration of information processing impacts the dimensionality of its fractal behavior. In this study, we hypothesized that FDs of electroencephalogram (EEG) in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) should be higher than healthy controls (HCs) because of exaggeration of information processing mainly in the frontal regions. Therefore, a group of 39 OCDs (age: 34.76±8.22, 25 female, 3 left-handed) and 19 HCs (age: 31.94±8.22, 11 female, 1 left-handed) were recruited and their brain activities were recorded using a 19-channel EEG recorder in the eyes-open resting-state condition. Subsequently, fractal dimensions of the cleaned EEG data were calculated using Katz’s method in a frequency band-specific manner. After the test of normality, significant changes in the OCDs as compared to the HCs were calculated using a two-sample t-test. OCDs showed higher FDs in the frontal regions in all frequency bands as compared to HCs. Although, significant increases were only observed in the beta and lower gamma bands, mainly at the high beta. Interestingly, neurophysiological findings also show association with severity of obsessive behaviors. The results demonstrate that complexity of information processing in the brain follows an intimate nature of structural and functional impairments of the brain in OCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Assisted reproductive technology (ARTs) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) can lead to depressive symptoms in infertile women due to their low success and high costs. Mindfulness-based group counseling can decrease depressive symptoms by increasing mental concentration. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of mindfulness-based group counseling on depression in infertile women undergoing IVF. Materials and Methods: The present clinical trial included 90 infertile women undergoing IVF treatment in an infertility center in 2016. Women were divided into two groups, intervention and control. Both groups completed a demographic questionnaire and the Beck depression inventory (BDI). Eight 90-minute sessions (two each week) of mindfulness-based group counseling were held with the intervention group, while the control group received treatment as normal. Following the intervention, the BDI was again completed by both groups. The data were analyzed and independent t tests and, paired t tests conducted at a significance level of P<0.05. Results: No statistically significant demographic differences were observed between the two groups. Women in the control group had a somewhat lower depressive symptom score than the intervention group before the intervention. However, compared with before, the depressive symptom score among women in the intervention group decreased significantly (48%) (P<0.001) after the intervention. In contrast, the depressive symptom score in control women was higher after the intervention than before. Conclusion: According to the findings of the present research, mindfulness-based group counseling is able to reduce depressive symptoms in infertile women under IVF treatment. Therefore, group counseling sessions are suggested for all depressed women undergoing infertility treatment (Registration number: IRCT2015082013405N14). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is a problem that affects not only the individual's health and quality of life, but also the functionality of the family system. Caregivers experience stress when their patients cannot cope with the symptoms of their disease. The stress experienced by caregivers gives rise to psychological and physical symptoms in them. This study seeks to present a complete set of tools for assessing coping in the spouses or caregivers of women with breast cancer and evaluate the various instruments developed within these lines of inquiry. Methods: A search was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Medline, ProQuest, Scopus and Google Scholar and also in the reference lists of the key articles retrieved for any coping assessment instrument targeting family caregivers' needs that had acceptable psychometric properties and was published until September 2019. The instruments used to assess coping in the spouses and caregivers of women with breast cancer were thus identified and their properties were described. Results: Overall, 88 adaptation assessment tools related to family caregivers of patients with breast cancer were identified in 28 related articles. The tools examine different dimensions of adaptation such as satisfaction, stress, burden and needs of spouses and caregivers of patients with breast cancer. Conclusion: Assessing family caregivers' coping is essential for providing them with the appropriate sources of support. Although several instruments have been used to assess coping in the spouses and caregivers of women with breast cancer, the properties of these instruments have to be examined before they can be more widely implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common mental illness characterized by obsessions and/or compulsions. OCD is a chronic and debilitating mental illness that has a negative effect on the lives of those affected by this disorder. A person who has been diagnosed with OCD suffers from persistent obsessions and/or compulsions that interfere with all aspects of life such as their personal relationships, jobs, and everyday lives. It affects each person differently, with one of the most common issues being difficulty in maintaining relationships. This study used a qualitative method via semi-structured interviews followed by thematic analysis. Patients' experiences in encountering problems caused by OCD were then identified, such as turbulent interpersonal relationships with relatives and difficulty communicating. The study used purposive sampling and had a sample of twenty-four patients with OCD. The patients were recruited from the Farshchian Hospital's psychiatry department in Hamadan, Iran from May to October 2017. The sampling was continued until the authors reached data saturation in which no new information was obtainable from the patients. The analysis identified four major themes: (1) communication problems in family relationships; (2) dysfunctional spousal relationships; (3) relationship problems with friends and community; and (4) communication problems within their work environment. The participants viewed OCD as a disorder that unfavourably affected their family and personal relationships, education, and occupations. When patients experience negative responses from family and friends in their attempts to communicate, their health is threatened. The patients become at risk for failure in therapeutic treatment, with the possibility of increased severity or recurrence of OCD symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Mental health problems frequently occur in children with epilepsy but the diagnosis is frequently missed and therapeutic opportunities are often lost. The aim of this study was to compare mental health statues between school-aged children with epilepsy and the healthy group. MATERIALS & METHODS: In this case, control study, 120 children aged 6 to 12 years with idiopathic epilepsy and 240 healthy control groups were followed up. Children with epilepsy were enrolled from Iranian Epilepsy Association in 2014. The parent version of Child Symptom Inventory-4 questionnaire was used. Mean comparisons were performed using Student's t test while effect sizes were estimated by Cohen's d coefficient. The Chi-Square test was used to assess the difference between frequency distribution of demographic variables in both groups. The significance level was considered less than 0.05. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences between children with epilepsy and control group as for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depression, separation anxiety, social phobia, motor and vocal tics and oppositional defiant disorder. CONCLUSION: The carefully evaluating and prospectively following the psychopathology symptom of children with epilepsy are critical for early identification, prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sleep disturbances are a common co-occurring disturbance in patients with major depressive disorders (MDDs) and accordingly deserve particular attention. Using a randomized design, we investigated the effects of three different adjuvant interventions on sleep and depression among patients with MDD: a sleep hygiene program (SHP), lorazepam (LOR), and their combination (SHP-LOR). Methods: A total of 120 outpatients with diagnosed MDD (mean age: 48.25 years; 56.7% females) and treated with a standard SSRI (citalopram at 20-40 mg at therapeutic level) were randomly assigned to one of the following three conditions: SHP (n=40), LOR (1 mg/d; n=40), SHP-LOR (1 mg/d; n=40). At the beginning and at the end of the study 8 weeks later, patients completed two questionnaires, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep and the Beck Depression Inventory to assess symptoms of depression. Results: Sleep disturbances decreased over time and in all groups. No group differences or interactions were observed. Symptoms of depression decreased over time and in all three groups. Reduction in symptoms of depression was greatest in the SHP-LOR group and lowest in the LOR group. Conclusion: The pattern of results suggests that all three adjuvant treatments improved symptoms of sleep disturbances and depression, with greater benefits for the SHP-LOR for symptoms of depression, but not for sleep. Nevertheless, risks and benefits of benzodiazepine prescriptions should be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the burden reported by family caregivers of Patients with schizophrenia. Methods: This cross sectional study involved face-to-face interviews with family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. Using convenience sampling, 225 caregivers were selected from Farshchian psychiatry Hospital in Hamadan, Iran from July to September 2012. Measures included patients and caregivers' demographic variables and caregivers' burden using the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). Data were analyzed by SPSS-18 with Pearson correlation and t-test. Results: Using the ZBI, we found that 7.6% of the caregivers experienced "no to low" burden, 23.5% "mild to moderate", 41.8% "moderate to severe" and 27.1% "severe" burden. The mean average score of the responses to ZBI was 51.73 (SD: ± 18.23). The level of burden experienced was significantly associated with age, gender, and educational level, relation to care recipient, caregiving duration and duration of schizophrenia illness. Conclusion: Mental health professionals need to develop more innovative programs for families of schizophrenic patients. Furthermore, as a replacement for supporting the families and easing their burdens, it may be more effective to include them in the health care team by assigning specific tasks and providing the required resources to them to perform such tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological and psychiatric disorders have a high frequency in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, their relationship with MS is complex and the extent to which they might be reactive to countless psychosocial factors, or symptoms resultant of the pathological process itself remains unclear. The aim of this study was to compare psychological symptoms in a group of MS patients and compared to healthy controls. The study subjects were MS patients admitted to the Farshchian hospital in Hamadan, Iran. The diagnosis was based on McDonald (2011) criteria. There were 120 patient), aged 34.5 ± 10.8 (mean ± SD) years. It was a cross sectional study. The psychological symptoms were assessed using Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). It was found that the MS patients exhibited significantly more psychological symptoms than the healthy controls. The SCL-90 scores of MS patients were significantly higher for somatization, obsession-compulsion, interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, depression and anxiety. The high rate of psychological symptoms in adult MS supports the need for routine psychological screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stigma is a serious impediment to the well-being of those who experience it. Many family- caregivers are challenged by the stereotypes and prejudice that result from misconceptions about bipolar disorder. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the stigma experienced by family caregivers of patients with bipolar disorder. Methods: This was a qualitative and phenomenological study. In this study, we selected the family caregivers of patients with bipolar disorder in a psychiatric hospital (Iran) using purposive sampling in 2011. By reaching data saturation, the number of participant was 12. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews and analyzed by the "Collaizi" method . Result: Stigma was a pervasive concern to almost all participants. Family caregivers of patients with Bipolar disorders reported feelings and experiences of stigma and were most affected by them. Analysis of the interviews revealed 3 themes: Negative judgment, Shame, Stigmatization and Social Isolation. Conclusion: For a person with bipolar disorder, this illness is associated with the following problems: worse recovery, difficulty accessing health services, receiving poor treatment and support, and difficulty gaining community acceptance. Rejection of people with mental illness might also affect their family caregivers at various levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe illness that has serious impacts on the lives of such patients and their families. Today families of individuals with BD are actively involved in providing care to their loved ones. Therefore, successful management of these patients relies significantly on the health of caregivers. The aim of this study was to explore the meaning of health according to family members who care for adult patients with BD. Materials and methods: A phenomenological qualitative research was carried out in the family members caregiving to BD patients in Farshian Psychiatric Hospital, Hamedan, 2010. The subjects were selected using purposive sampling. By reaching data saturation the number of participants was 12. In order to collect the data in-depth interviews were conducted and then analyzed by Van Manen method. Results: Six main themes with 14 subthemes were identified in this study including 'living in hell', 'mental-emotional exhaustion', 'self-neglect', 'the need to receive support', 'condemned to isolation' and 'feelings of shame'. Conclusion: This study underlines the necessity for comprehensive support among family caregivers of BD patients. Hence, support and interventions regarding such families' health have to be considered by all mental health treatment providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer is a problem that affects not only the individual's health and quality of life, but also the functionality of the family system. Caregivers experience stress when their patients cannot cope with the symptoms of their disease. The stress experienced by caregivers gives rise to psychological and physical symptoms in them. This study seeks to present a complete set of tools for assessing coping in the spouses or caregivers of women with breast cancer and evaluate the various instruments developed within these lines of inquiry., Methods: A search was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Medline, ProQuest, Scopus and Google Scholar and also in the reference lists of the key articles retrieved for any coping assessment instrument targeting family caregivers' needs that had acceptable psychometric properties and was published until September 2019. The instruments used to assess coping in the spouses and caregivers of women with breast cancer were thus identified and their properties were described., Results: Overall, 88 adaptation assessment tools related to family caregivers of patients with breast cancer were identified in 28 related articles. The tools examine different dimensions of adaptation such as satisfaction, stress, burden and needs of spouses and caregivers of patients with breast cancer., Conclusion: Assessing family caregivers' coping is essential for providing them with the appropriate sources of support. Although several instruments have been used to assess coping in the spouses and caregivers of women with breast cancer, the properties of these instruments have to be examined before they can be more widely implemented., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2020 Jahani Sayad Noveiri et al.)