https://jpc.uma.ac.ir/ Preventive Counseling en daily 1 Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://jpc.uma.ac.ir/article_4418.html Aim: Internet addiction tendency has emerged as a growing psychological concern among university students. The present study examined the relationships between early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and Internet addiction tendency and investigated the extent to which cognitive emotion regulation strategies and emotional intelligence contribute to explaining variability in problematic Internet use.Method: This descriptive–correlational study was conducted among 300 students at university. Participants completed the Young Internet Addiction Test, the Young Schema Questionnaire, the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the Bar-On Emotional Intelligence Inventory. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients, multiple regression analyses, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses to examine predictive relationships and incremental contributions of the study variables.Results: All five EMS significantly and positively predicted Internet addiction tendency. Emotional intelligence was a significant negative predictor and accounted for a substantial proportion of additional variance in Internet addiction tendency beyond early maladaptive schemas. Positive cognitive emotion regulation strategies contributed a smaller but significant proportion of additional variance, particularly in relation to the disconnection and rejection schema domain. Negative cognitive emotion regulation strategies did not demonstrate a significant incremental contribution.Conclusions: EMSs represent important cognitive–emotional vulnerabilities associated with Internet addiction tendency. Emotional intelligence and adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, especially positive strategies, are associated with lower levels of problematic Internet use and contribute uniquely to explaining individual differences in vulnerability. Interventions that address maladaptive schemas while strengthening emotional competencies and adaptive cognitive regulation may be beneficial in reducing problematic Internet use and enhancing students’ psychological well-being. https://jpc.uma.ac.ir/article_4530.html This study examines the prevalence and determinants of homesickness among international medical trainees, interrogates how homesickness intersects with identity negotiation and coping processes, and develops evidence-based counseling recommendations to reduce psychological distress and support professional integration. A mixed-methods literature synthesis and thematic analysis were undertaken. The review systematically collated peer-reviewed quantitative and qualitative studies, scoping and umbrella reviews, and theoretical treatments concerning homesickness, identity, coping strategies, and institutional support for overseas medical and healthcare trainees. Consistent evidence links homesickness with increased depression, anxiety, and stress among international medical trainees. Exacerbating factors are separation from social support, language barriers, intense training demands, and cultural dissonance with host institutions. Identity conflict, when trainees’ cultural values clash with institutional norms, co-occurs with homesickness and is associated with greater psychological morbidity and diminished clinical confidence. Identified adaptive coping strategies include problem-focused methods, active emotion regulation, resilience training, mindfulness, peer support networks, and mentorship. Institutional determinants—culturally sensitive counseling, proactive outreach, anti-stigma initiatives, orientation programming, and hybrid services—shape help-seeking and intervention uptake. Homesickness signals acculturative strain and impedes identity work for competent clinical practice in unfamiliar settings. Interventions addressing symptoms alone show limited benefit when they ignore identity negotiation and systemic barriers. The literature supports integrated, multilevel approaches combining culturally attuned individual counseling (CBT-informed resilience), identity-reflective practices, peer-led supports, and institutional reforms such as staff cultural-competence training and mentorship. Embedding individual interventions within supportive institutional ecosystems improves uptake and sustained impact. Future research should prioritize longitudinal and controlled studies evaluating effective integrated counseling and institutional models. https://jpc.uma.ac.ir/article_4531.html Aim:This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of the Children of Divorce Intervention Program (CODIP) and the parent-based intervention Assisting Children through Transition (A.C.T) in reducing problematic beliefs of children of divorce. Method: The research design was quasi-experimental with pretest and posttest and a control group. The statistical population of this study consisted of all 8–10-year-old students from divorced families in Sari, Iran, during 2024–2025. Using purposive sampling, 45 participants were selected and randomly assigned to two intervention groups and one control group. Children in the CODIP group attended fifteen weekly 45-minute sessions, while custodial parents in the A.C.T group participated in eight 90-minute sessions. The control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Children’s Beliefs About Parental Divorce Scale (Kurdek & Berg, 1987). The multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) test was used in the SPSS-22 software environment.Findings: Results revealed no significant difference between the CODIP and A.C.T programs in reducing problematic beliefs of children of divorce (P= 0.252). Nonetheless, both interventions were effective in improving these beliefs (F=134.07, P 0.001).Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of preventive interventions in supporting the mental health of children of divorce. Both child-centered (CODIP) and parent-centered (A.C.T) approaches can be effective, and practitioners and policymakers could implement them to promote children’s well-being and mitigate the negative effects of parental divorce. https://jpc.uma.ac.ir/article_4532.html Objective: Marital conflict can stem from the unique family, cultural, and social values of the family of origin. The present study aimed to develop and validate an integrated couples therapy package based on the influential indicators of the family of origin in 2024.Method: To develop the package, through interviews with 18 conflict participants (12 women and 6 men) who referred to counseling centers in Marand city, using a qualitative approach and phenomenological method, indicators of the impact of the family of origin on marital conflicts were extracted. After coding the interviews based on the Brown and Clark method, three main themes emerged: socio-cultural (with four subthemes), economic (with two subthemes), and family (with thirteen subthemes). Based on the themes obtained, intervention strategies, which were mainly within the framework of Bowen's emotional system, imago therapy, contextual, and cognitive-behavioral approaches, were selected and the package was developed and presented to a panel of 6 experts for validation. In the quantitative validation section, the content validity coefficient (CVR) and the content validity index (CVI) were used.Findings: The results showed that the compilation package was valid with a content validity coefficient (CVR=1) higher than the required value (CVR≥0.99 for 6 panel members) and a content validity index (CVI) equal to 0.83.Conclusion: Validation of the developed package with content adequacy showed that the present package can be used alongside other couples therapy approaches to reduce marital conflict. https://jpc.uma.ac.ir/article_4533.html Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the moderating role of psychological flexibility in the relationship between perfectionism and depressive symptoms in female undergraduate students of Alzahra University.Method: This study was conducted on a sample of 500 female students who were selected using multi-stage cluster random sampling. The instruments used included the Tehran Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (Beshart Mohammad Ali 2007), the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI) (Rolfes et al., 2018), and the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck 1960). Result: The results of structural equation modeling analysis showed that perfectionism and psychological inflexibility were positively and significantly predicted depressive symptoms, and psychological flexibility had a significant association with depressive symptoms. Also, psychological flexibility was able to significantly moderate the relationship between perfectionism and depressive symptoms, such that female university students with higher levels of psychological flexibility showed less experience of depression.Conclusion: These findings emphasize the importance of psychological flexibility as a protective and moderating factor in reducing the negative effects of perfectionism in female university students ' depressive symptoms and help to develop preventive programs to increase psychological flexibility among this group. https://jpc.uma.ac.ir/article_4650.html Aim: The main objective of the current study was to examine the link between positive and negative emotions, narcissism, and distress tolerance about rumination among adolescent. Method: The study adopted a descriptive correlational approach. The participants were selected from a population of 3000 students based on statistics provided by the education department for the academic year 2022-2023 in Behshahr city. 341 female high school students were selected using convenience sampling in the latter half of the academic year. The sample collected data using Watson, Clark, and Telger's (1988) positive and negative affect scales, Simonzo Gahr's (2005) distress tolerance scale, Nolen-Hoeksema's (1998) rumination scale, and Ames's (2006) narcissism scale. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS 24 software, with Pearson correlation coefficient tests and stepwise regression being utilized. Results: The study found that rumination is predicted by positive and negative affect, narcissism, and distress tolerance, with a moderate relationship among these variables. Narcissism contributes 4.44% to the variance in rumination while incorporating negative affect strengthens this connection. Together, narcissism and negative affect account for 74.4% of the changes in rumination, with increased negative affect leading to more rumination. Finally, distress tolerance explains an additional 4.4% of the variance.Conclusion: Adolescents who feel happy and positive tend to be more social and have better physical health, leading to greater life satisfaction. Positive emotions help reduce stress and negative thinking, while negative emotions can lead to mental health problems like depression and anxiety. https://jpc.uma.ac.ir/article_4680.html Aim: The study investigated the prevalence of marital conflict and coping strategies employed by married adults in Kwara State, Nigeria. The study was a descriptive survey. Method: The population for this study was all married adults in Kwara State which was estimated at 935,686 as at January, 2025, while 403 literate married adults were sampled for this study. A researcher-designed questionnaire titled “Prevalence of Marital Conflicts and Coping Strategies Questionnaire (PMCCSQ) was used to collect data for this study. The data collected were analysed with percentage, mean and ranking for demographic and research questions while the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical tool was used to test the formulated hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance.Findings: The findings revealed that married adults in Kwara State experienced a high prevalence of marital conflict with a rate of 55%. Findings also revealed that married adults in Kwara State employed behavioural, social, cognitive, avoidance and spiritual coping strategies. Conclusion: It was concluded that married adults in Kwara State experienced a high prevalence of marital conflict. Based on these findings, it was recommended that the State Government should establish community-based marital counselling centres in all local government areas to provide accessible professional support for couples to reduce the rate of marital conflict among married adults in Kwara State. https://jpc.uma.ac.ir/article_4690.html Aim: This study examined the psychometric properties and factorial structure of the Persian (Farsi) version of the VIA-IS-120 in an Iranian population.Methods: Two independent samples of university students participated (Study 1: n = 309; Study 2: n = 271; age range = 18–57 years), recruited via convenience sampling. Internal consistency, gender and age differences, and convergent and divergent validity were examined using correlations with the Big Five personality traits, positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, and components of well-being. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted in Study 1, followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in Study 2.Results: Most character strengths showed moderate internal consistency (α = .49–.77), with humility demonstrating lower reliability in Study 1. Gratitude was the only strength positively associated with age, and men scored higher than women on bravery, humor, and vitality. All character strengths correlated positively with positive affect and well-being indicators, supporting the convergent validity of these measures. Creativity, bravery, hope, curiosity, and vitality showed the strongest associations with positive affect, while hope, love, humor, and vitality were positively related to life satisfaction. Ten strengths demonstrated significant negative correlations with negative affect, supporting divergent validity. Associations with the Big Five were generally consistent with theoretical expectations but modest in magnitude. EFA supported a four-factor structure—courage, humanity, wisdom, and transcendence. CFA indicated that this four-factor model demonstrated superior parsimony compared to the original six-factor model.Conclusion: The findings support the construct validity and cross-cultural applicability of the Persian VIA-IS-120. https://jpc.uma.ac.ir/article_4733.html Objective: Adolescence is a critical developmental period marked by rapid biological, cognitive, and social changes, during which emotional self-regulation and academic motivation serve as key protective factors for mental health and educational success. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) training on emotional self-regulation and academic motivation of female junior high school students. Method: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population included all female students in District One of the Qazvin Department of Education during the 2024-2025 academic year, from which 50 students were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=25) and a control group (n=25). The experimental group received NLP training in twelve 90-minute sessions (one session per week), while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Hofmann & Kashdan, 2010) and the Academic Motivation Scale (Harter, 1980). Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA and MANCOVA) in SPSS version 25. Findings:The results indicated that NLP training had a significant effect on students' academic motivation (p <.05), but did not have a significant effect on their emotional self-regulation (p >.05).