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Objective: Tobacco smoking is an addictive behavior with many psychological side effects, and many smokers are unable to quit it. Despite various treatments for smoking cessation, there is an urgent need to develop and utilize a noninvasive technique with high efficacy. This study aimed to determine the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on reduction of craving in daily and social smokers. Method : This pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study, in which the participants were randomly assigned into sham and active groups, was performed on 40 daily and social smokers. Stimulation was delivered over the left DLPFC at a 2 m/A during 10 twenty-minute sessions for 5 weeks. The participants filled out the Desire for Drug questionnaire (DDQ) before and after intervention. Analysis of covariance was used for data analysis. Results: A significant decrease was found in the number of cigarette smoking in both daily and social smokers compared to the sham group. Moreover, the results indicated that anodal tDCS on F3 and Cathodal tDCS on F4 has significant effects on nicotine craving (P < 0/000). Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the current tDCS of DLPFC decreases the craving of smoking. This noninvasive brain stimulation technique targeted at DLPFC area may be a promising method for reducing and treating smoking craving.
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BACKGROUND: Emotional conditions governing the family and patients' perceived social support play important roles in the treatment or relapse process of the chronic disease. OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to investigate the role of family expressed emotion and perceived social support in prediction of addiction relapse. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The descriptive-correlation method was used in the current study. The study population consisted of the individuals referred to the addiction treatment centers in Ardabil from October 2013 to January 2014. The subjects (n = 80) were randomly selected using cluster sampling method. To collect data, expressed emotion test by Cole and Kazaryan, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were used, and the obtained data was analyzed using the Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: Results showed a positive relationship between family expressed emotions and the frequency of relapse (r = 0.26, P = 0.011) and a significant negative relationship between perceived social support and the frequency of relapse (r = -0.34, P = 0.001). Multiple regression analysis also showed that perceived social support from family and the family expressed emotions significantly explained 12% of the total variance of relapse frequency. CONCLUSIONS: These results have implications for addicted people, their families and professionals working in addiction centers to use the emotional potential of families especially their expressed emotions and the perceived social support of addicts to increase the success rate of addiction treatment.
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OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study is to investigate the relationship between metacognition and obsessive beliefs, and procrastination. METHODS: 285 students of Tabriz and Mohaghegh Ardabili Universities, Iran, were selected by random sampling, and completed the metacognition (MCQ-30) questionnaire, obsessive beliefs questionnaire (OBQ-44), and General Procrastination Scale. The research method was descriptive. Data was implemented by structural equation modeling, using Amos software (version 19) and Anderson and Greenberg's (1988) two-step approach was followed. First, the model measurement, and then the structural model were examined. RESULTS: RESULTS showed that obsessive beliefs and metacognitive beliefs, directly and indirectly, predict the behavior of procrastination. Cognitive confidence, need for control of thoughts, and positive beliefs about worry from metacognitive beliefs were positively and significantly correlated with procrastination. In addition, cognitive self-consciousness was inversely correlated with procrastination. Perfectionism/certainty from obsessive beliefs was inversely correlated with procrastination. Moreover, the relationship between obsessive beliefs and metacognitive beliefs were positive and significant. CONCLUSION: Our findings show a significant relationship between obsessive and metacognitive beliefs and procrastination. To reduce behaviors of procrastination, control of obsessive beliefs and metacognition seems to be necessary. Moreover, controlling and shaping metacognitive beliefs can be effective in reducing compulsive behavior. DECLARATION OF INTEREST: None.
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BACKGROUND: Addiction for narcotics is a dangerous reality, especially in teenagers and young persons, and is one of the most important socioeconomic and health problems, threatens the human society and leads to social stagnancy in various aspects. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed at determining Meta-cognitive relationship with addiction potential tendency in students and determining the distribution of each Meta-cognitive dimension in predicting addiction potential tendency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The descriptive-correlative method was used for conducting this research. The research target population included all students of Ardebil Mohaghegh University. A sample of 380 subjects was selected randomly from this demographic population by cluster multistage sampling. We used Weed and colleagues' questionnaire of addiction to assess addiction potential tendency, and the Meta-cognitive scale of Wells and colleagues for evaluating Meta-cognition. Data gathered were analyzed by multifold Regression via simultaneous entrance method. RESULTS: The rate of students' addiction potential tendency can be predicted by having characteristics of their Meta-cognition. It also appeared that among the five parameters of Meta-cognition, the role of three parameters required for controlling thoughts, uncontrollability and risk, and positive beliefs about anxiety were of great importance in predicting addiction potential tendency in students. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this research have important implications regarding the attention of students' counselors to Meta-cognitive dimensions in order to prevent students' tendency for addiction.
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OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to review the relationships between procrastination and two self-factors self-efficacy and self-esteem. METHODS: Participants were 140 undergraduates Psychology students enrolled in Mohagheg Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran. Instruments used for collecting the required data were the student-version of the General Procrastination Scale (GP-S), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) and Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (SES). RESULTS: Using causal modeling, two models were compared; a model with self-esteem as a mediator versus a model with procrastination as a mediator. The self-esteem mediator model accounted for 21% of the variance in procrastination. The significance of the mediation effect was found by bootstrapping method. CONCLUSION: The relationship of procrastination with self-esteem and self-efficacy was revealed among undergraduate psychology students.