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The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Inventory Complicated Grief (ICG) including reliability, validity and factorial structure. In this cross-sectional study, 332 women and men bereaved at least 6 months from the adult population of Iran. The results showed Cronbach's alpha was found to be 0.94 for the scales overall score. Inventory Complicated Grief found a positive and significant correlation between the beck depression inventory (BDI) (r =.62, p <.001) and grief experience questionnaire (r =.74, p <.001). Still, he also found that there was a negative correlation between adult hope scale (r = −.44, p <.001). Furthermore, the results of the EFA result showed four factors on this scale. Overall, ICG showed good reliability and validity in Iranian population and it could be applied for assessing their Complicated Grief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research aims to study the personality profile of adolescents in different identity statuses using 'Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory- Adolescent' (MMPI-A); it then attempts to answer the question whether there are any significant differences between these profiles at different identity statuses. To this end, 506 adolescents (273 male and 233 female), who aged 15 to 18 years old, answered MMPI-A and Ego Identity Process Questionnaires. The obtained results indicated that adolescents' personality profile was within the normal range for identity statuses of foreclosure, moratorium, and diffusion. Also, the score of adolescents who were in any of these statuses did not reveal any significant difference. This study shows that MMPI-A can assess adolescents' psychopathology through their various identity statuses., Author(s): Marzieh Norozpour [sup.1], Banafsheh Gharraee [sup.1] [sup.2], Mojtaba Habibi [sup.3], Ahmad Ashouri [sup.1], Nasim Mousavi [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.411746.1, 0000 0004 4911 7066, Faculty of Behavioral Sciences and [...]

Objectives: The PG‐13‐Revised (PG-13-R) is a self-report measure to assess prolonged grief disorder (PGD) in terms of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth revision, Text Revision. This measure has been shown to yield good psychometric properties in Western samples. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian PG-13-R. Methods: Three hundred forty-seven individuals (209 women and 138 men) fully completed the scales. The participants were recruited using convenience sampling. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), convergent and divergent validity, and reliability of the Persian version of the PG-13-R were evaluated. Results: CFA results of a unidimensional model support the construct validity of this version of the PG-13-R. The results of this study demonstrated that this version of the PG-13-R has internal consistency reliability (omega coefficient of 0.93), and the test–retest reliability with an interval of 6 weeks was 0.89. The convergent and divergent validity was shown with significant correlations between the PG-13-R and measures of depression, PTSD, functional impairment, and hope. Significance of results: Overall, the Persian version of the PG-13-R showed good psychometric properties in the Iranian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of animal behavior, particularly in insects, is crucial for understanding their biological and evolutionary aspects, with wide-ranging applications in agricultural science, pest management, conservation biology, and neuroscience. Investigating cognitive characteristics, specifically aversive learning, plays a pivotal role in comprehending the success of insects. This adaptive ability enables animals to efficiently cope with the stressful factors in their environment. In this study, we investigated the aversive learning capabilities of Bombus terrestris Audax workers, crucial pollinators across diverse ecosystems. Bees were trained and tested in a flight arena using artificial flowers equipped with electric shocks to simulate conditions wherebees could associate punishment alongside food resources with available cues. The result suggested that bees possess the ability to simultaneously detect potential threats and food resources, indicating a dual aversive-appetitive memory. Furthermore, comparing groups trained with aversive (electric shock) and neutral (distilled water) stimuli showed that danger cues led to faster learning and stronger memory formation. This conditioning setup aimed to simulate real-life foraging situations, exploring bee responses when confronted with potential dangers. These findings provide insights into the survival strategies of insects in challenging environments that negatively impact bee populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression symptoms are among the most common psychological problems in students. Short-term treatments are important in preventing depression from turning into a disorder. Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of interpersonal counseling (IPC) in depression symptoms, emotional expression, and social skills of students in comparison to interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT). Methods: A pretest and posttest design with follow-up was used in this study, with two experimental groups and a control group conducted in Mashhad, Iran, in 2021. A total of 51 subjects who scored 14 or higher on the Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II) were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. Finally, the information obtained from 41 subjects was analyzed. The experimental groups underwent 7 sessions of 45 minutes of IPC and 12 sessions of 90 minutes of IPT every week. At the beginning of the study, after the end of the intervention, and after one- and three-month follow-up periods, all the subjects were evaluated with the BDI-II, emotional expressiveness, and social skills questionnaires. The findings were analyzed using the repeated measurement method and Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. All the analyses were carried out with SPSS software (version 23). Results: Both IPC and IPT treatments were effective in depression symptoms (M: 31.76, 20.41, 22.94, and 24), emotional expression (M: 32.94, 40.26, 38.47, and 37.23), and social skills (M: 224.9, 265.2, 254.4, and 253.7) (P < 0.05). The comparison of the two treatments showed no significant difference in the variables (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The findings of the present study can be considered a useful step in the field of short-term and effective interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgenic Bt cotton developed against lepidopteran pests may not be compatible with parasitoid of secondary pests such as Bemisia tabaci which attack many plants such as cotton. In this study, the effects of Bt cotton on the demographic parameters of Encarsia formosa, parasitoid of B. tabaci were assessed. The data were analysed using the age specific, two-sex life table parameters. The results indicated that pre-adult developmental time, the total preoviposition period (TPOP) and the adult preoviposition period (APOP) in the Bt cotton were significantly longer than in the non-Bt cotton. Also, fecundity and body size in both lines were significantly different. The fecundity was 23.64±0.73 and 43.75±0.89 eggs/females in the Bt and non-Bt cotton, respectively. All the population parameters were affected by the Bt cotton. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) was 0.15 day-1 in the non-Bt cotton but it was 0.10 day-1 in the Bt cotton. The finite rate of increase (λ) was 1.11 day-1 in the non-Bt cotton whilst it was 1.08 in the Bt cotton. The net reproductive rate (R0) in the non-Bt cotton was 36.75 but in the Bt cotton these parameters showed 19.62 offspring/individual. Also, the mean generation time (T ) in the non-Bt and Bt cotton was 22.69 and 27.79 days, respectively. The results illustrated, that although transgenic crops are effective tools for management of the target pests, they can adversely affect, either directly or indirectly, the natural enemies dependent on these plants.

Objective: Mental health literacy is especially important during adolescence and youth, because the peak of the onset of mental disorders occurs in this period. The present study aimed to identify the effective systemic factors for improving Iranian adolescent mental health literacy from the Perspective of policymakers and experts. Method: This qualitative study was performed on 21 policymakers and health literacy/mental health experts since May 2020 to September 2020 in the workplace of the interviewees in Tehran. Purposive sampling (snowball method) was conducted based on experience, expertise, and the willingness to participate in an interview. All interviews were conducted with the presence of the interviewer at the interviewees' workplace in Tehran. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed via the conventional content analysis method. Results: Five themes were extracted as systemic factors for improving adolescent mental health literacy. Themes were "mental health literacy training", "integration and coordination of stakeholder organizations", "resources and facilities", "continuous assessment" and "provision of information." Conclusion: Before policy-making and planning to enhance adolescents' knowledge and awareness of mental health issues, it is necessary to attract policymakers' attention to the macro level and identify direct and indirect strategies for the correct implementation of policies adopted in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Perfectionism is a key construct for understanding psychopathology. In societies with varying cultures, studying the psychometric properties of tools can help with their external validity. This research aimed at standardization and validation of the Eating Disorder Inventory-Perfectionism (EDI-P) scale in Iran. Methods: The Persian version of EDI-P was formed through forward translation, reconciliation, and back translation. A total of 302 students were selected using convenience sampling method and they completed a set of questionnaires, including the EDI-P, Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire-Short Form (WEL-SF), Eating Attitude Test-16 (EAT-16), Self-esteem scale (SES), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-16 (DERS-16), and Self-compassion scale (SCS) Short Form. The construct validity of the EDI-P was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis and divergent and convergent validity. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability (2 weeks' interval) were applied to evaluate reliability. LISREL (version 8.8) and SSPS (version 22) software were used for data analysis purpose. Results: EDI-P scales and subscales were found to be a valid and reliable measure, with good internal consistency and good test-retest reliability in the nonclinical sample. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the whole scale, socially prescribed, and self-oriented were found to be 0.74, 0.68, and 0.67, respectively. Test-retest reliability for the whole scale, socially prescribed, and self-oriented were found to be 0.88, 0.80, and 0.87, respectively. Convergent validity and divergent validity were good (Normed Fit Index [NFI] = 0.94, Incremental Fit Index = 0.95, root mean square error of approximation = 0.08, goodness of fit index = 0.97, Non-normed Fit Index [NNFI] = 0.91, and comparative fit index = 0.95). The results of this study provide support for the two-factor model of EDI-P. Conclusion: The EDI-P showed good validity and reliability and could be useful in assessing perfectionism in Iranian population. The EDI-P shows notable promise as a measure for use in eating research and clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the Persian version of the Utrecht Grief Rumination Scale (UGRS), developed to assess grief-related rumination. The UGRS, originally validated in Western and Eastern cultures, had not been examined in a Iranian context. The research involved translating the UGRS into Persian, followed by a thorough psychometric evaluation involving 325 bereaved Persian-speaking adults. The Persian UGRS demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s ω = 0.92) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.85). Confirmatory factor analyses supported a second-order hierarchical model of grief rumination. Concurrent validity was affirmed through significant correlations with depression, anxiety, prolonged grief, and PTSD. Known-groups validity highlighted higher rumination levels among individuals with lower education, those who lost close family members, and women. These findings underscore the Persian UGRS’s reliability and validity, offering a robust tool for assessing grief-related rumination in the Iranian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]