shahrooz nemati; rahim badri; Mohammad Arshadtaleshmekaeil
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to systematic examination and present a meta-combination of the research related to the third kind of socio-emotional learning for elementary students with a specific learning disability. The study was qualitative using a meta-combination with synthesis study approach. ...
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The purpose of this research was to systematic examination and present a meta-combination of the research related to the third kind of socio-emotional learning for elementary students with a specific learning disability. The study was qualitative using a meta-combination with synthesis study approach. The needed data were collected through a search of keywords of socio-emotional learning, specific learning disability, a neuro-developmental disorder in the library resources, theses, and the articles existing in the databases of ERIC, Google Scholars, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Springer, Magiran, Irandoc during 1990-2021. In order to search for the information in the Iranian and foreign databases was used both in separation and in combination. The theoretical bases and the main and combination concepts were extracted, and the concept was analyzed and classified. The results of the examination and analysis of the studies and research showed that the intervention program of the third kind of socio-emotional learning was effective in the fields of psychological problems and disorders. The findings of this research by identifying the nature of the intervention program of the third kind of socio-emotional learning show that regarding the existing theoretical and experimental, this idea could be proposed as an instructional package for the students with a specific learning disability.
Jafar Mahmoodi; Iman Mesbah; Ali rezaeisharif
Abstract
Abstract
The current study has been conducted to get the amount of effectiveness of the compassion-based approach on alexithymia and the sense of coherence in mothers with intellectually disabled children. It has been in progress for two months with a semi-experimental design using pre-test and post-test, ...
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Abstract
The current study has been conducted to get the amount of effectiveness of the compassion-based approach on alexithymia and the sense of coherence in mothers with intellectually disabled children. It has been in progress for two months with a semi-experimental design using pre-test and post-test, accompanied by a control group. The whole population of the study involved 56 mothers having intellectually disabled children, who registered them in the Marand Well-being Organization Office from 2017 to 2022, of whom 30 had the required condition to get into the research. The study used a purposeful method for choosing the samples and put them randomly in two experimental and control groups. Compassion-based approach training was conducted in eight sessions for the experimental group while the control group received nothing. The data collected were analyzed and collected through alexithymia and the sense of coherence scales and were undergone the SPSS-22 software for the latter analysis and variance calculations. According to the results obtained compassion-based approach therapy for alexithymia and sense of coherence had a meaningful effect (p≤0/05). The follow-up stage has also demonstrated that the effect of compassion-based treatment on alexithymia and the sense of coherent sense of mothers with intellectually disabled children has been stable. Based on the results, psychology and counseling experts could use compassion-based training programs for alexithymia reduction and coherence sense enhancement of intellectually disabled children’s caregivers.
Keywords: Alexithymia, Compassion-Based Therapy, Intellectual Disability, Sense of Coherence.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Mental intellectual (intellectual developmental disorder) is a disorder that begins during the development period and includes a person's lack of adaptive functioning and intelligence in the practical, social, and conceptual domains (American Psychiatric Association, 2022). The presence of a mentally retarded child can cause a change in the mental health and dynamics of the family system (Bahadori Khosrowshahi and Habibi-Kaleiber, 2015). When parents find out about their child's disability, they experience various forms of stress and psychological pressure, social isolation, and mental health problems (Popa, 2020). In the meantime, mothers, in the position of the main caretaker of the child, bear the biggest burden of the problem (Milani Far, 1400, p. 184). As most of the caretaking time for the child and interacting with him is usually taken by the mother, and due to the intellectual disability of the child, it has many problems in the intelligence, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development field, there are major tensions in this regard directed at the mother (Gupta and Kaur, 2010).
One of the therapeutic interventions that seem to be effective in empowering mothers with mentally retarded children is self-compassion therapy (Rostampour-Brinjistanki, Abbasi, and Mirzaeian, 2019). Compassion therapy was founded by Gilbert (2005) as the main therapy and even complementary therapy (Lucre and Clapton, 2021). This treatment is a patient-centered behavior change strategy, and its purpose is to identify and reduce a person's doubts about changing their behavior, change in lifestyle and routine, and improve the person's perception of the importance of behavior change (Hacken and Taylor, 2021).
Research Question
Is compassion-based therapy effective in increasing the sense of coherence and reducing alexithymia of mothers with mentally retarded children?
Literature Review
The results of various studies show that compassion therapy increases self-coherence adaptability, reduces negative spontaneous thoughts (Ardashirzadeh, Bakhtiarpour, Homaei, Iftikhar Saadi, 2019), increases the sense of coherence (Ghaffari, Ismali, Atashgir, Hakim-abadi, 2017; Lloyd, 2017), improves the symptoms and quality of life (Nashi et al., 2019), reduces depression and anxiety (Safarinia, Mortezai Karhrodi, Alipur, 2022), increases the tolerance of distress and reduces of guilt in mothers with physically disabled children movement (Mahmoudpour, Dehghanpour, Ejadi and Mohammadi, 2021), improves of psychological flexibility in mothers with mentally retarded children (Rostampour Brijstanaki et al., 2016) and improves of alexithymia (Ahmadi Malairi, Rahmani, Pourasghar, 2021) Tajdin, Al-Yasin, Heydari, and Davoudi, 2019).
Methodology
The current research method was a semi-experimental pre-test post-test type with a control group with a 2-month follow-up. The statistical population of the present study was mothers with mentally disabled children who had a disability file for their children in Marand Welfare Department from 2017 to 2022 (N=56). In order to select the statistical sample of the research, by referring to the Marand Welfare Organization and using the purposeful sampling method, 30 mothers with mentally retarded children who have alexithymia (above 60) and sense of coherence (below 63) scales were selected and randomly replaced in the experimental and control groups.
Results
The results of multivariate tests showed that the interaction between time and group is significant for all variables. Therefore, compassion-based treatment training was effective on all variables and caused changes in alexithymia and sense of coherence (P<0.05). The obtained results showed that there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores in the two variables of emotional ataxia and sense of coherence (P<0.001). In other words, the effect of compassion-based intervention on research variables is confirmed. Also, there is a significant difference between pre-test and follow-up scores in both variables (P<0.001). In other words, the effect of time is confirmed. Meanwhile, no significant difference was observed between the post-test and follow-up scores in the two variables of alexithymia and the sense of coherence (P<0.05).
Table 1. Benferoni test to investigate the effectiveness of compassion-based therapy for research variables over time
Comparison
Alexithymia
sense of coherence
Mean difference
standard error
Significance level
mean difference
standard error
Significance level
Pre-test post-test
16.24
1.82
0.001
8.51
1.37
0.001
Post-test follow-up
0.97
1.26
0.07
0.48
1.18
0.69
Pre-test follow-up
6.42
2.11
0.001
8.93
1.42
0.001
Discussion
The present study was conducted with the aim of the effectiveness of the compassion-based approach on emotional ataxia and sense of coherence in mothers with intellectually disabled children. Based on the obtained results, compassion-based therapy reduced alexithymia in mothers with mentally retarded children, which is in agreement with the results of some studies (Ahmadi Malairi et al., 2021; Tajdin et al., 2019; Marsh, Chan, and McBeth, 2018; Kiel and Pidgon, 2017). Another finding of the research was that compassion-based therapy is effective in increasing the sense of coherence of mothers with mentally disabled children. The result obtained in accordance with the research results of Aghalar and Akrami (2021), Ardeshirzadeh et al. (2019), Narimani and Eyni (2019), Li, Liu, Han, Zhu, and Wang (2017), and Lloyd (2017).
Conclusion
The present study showed that the participants had clinically significant improvement in each scale and it seems that the intervention based on compassion was effective. The results of the follow-up test were not significantly different from the final test, and the therapeutic method based on compassion had a lasting effect on increasing the sense of coherence and reducing alexithymia.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank all those who participated in this study.
sefallah aghajani; matine ebadi; Sanaz eyni
Abstract
Students with specific learning disorder have adaptation problems due to lack of favorable social relationships and numerous academic problems. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of predicting social adjustment based on metacognitive beliefs, alexithymia and empathy in students with ...
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Students with specific learning disorder have adaptation problems due to lack of favorable social relationships and numerous academic problems. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of predicting social adjustment based on metacognitive beliefs, alexithymia and empathy in students with special learning disabilities. In this descriptive and correlational study, 116 student were selected as a purposeful sample from all male and female students aged 10 to 14 years with specific learning disorder in Tabriz in 2019- 2020. Bell Social Adjustment Questionnaire, Wells Metacognitive Beliefs Questionnaire, Toronto Alexithymia Scale and Jolliffe & Farrington Empathy Scale were used to collect data. Data were analyzed by Pearson test and regression analysis. The results showed that social adjustment of students with specific learning disabilities had a positive and significant relationship and empathy and with metacognitive beliefs and alexithymia had a negative and significant relationship (p> 0.01). Metacognitive beliefs, alexithymia and empathy predicted 58% of the variance of social adjustment scores in students with specific learning disabilities (P <0.01). Considering the adverse consequences of learning disability and its widespread effects on the child's individual and social life, it is suggested that programs be implemented to promote appropriate metacognitive emotions and beliefs and to develop empathy among students with learning disabilities.
Hiva Mahmoodi; Mohsen jalali; Fayagh Ahmadi Soleimaniyeh
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to Compare of Alexithymia, Self-Compassion and Humor Styles between Parents of Children with Mental Retardation and Normal Children. The research method is then causal-comparative. The research method was causal-comparative. The statistical population includes all parents ...
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The purpose of this study was to Compare of Alexithymia, Self-Compassion and Humor Styles between Parents of Children with Mental Retardation and Normal Children. The research method is then causal-comparative. The research method was causal-comparative. The statistical population includes all parents of mentally retarded children (N = 160) and parents of normal children in Saqqez city, who were selected from among 80 parents of mentally retarded children with available method and 80 parents of normal children had the means to multistage cluster sampling method. The research instruments included emotional deficiency scales, self-compassion inventory and Humor Styles questionnaire. The analysis method is multivariate analysis of variance. The results showed that there were significant differences between the parents of mentally retarded children and parents of normal children in terms of alexithymia, self-compassion and styles of humor (P≤0/01). Conclusion: Parents of mentally retarded children had more problems with emotional failure and self-compassion because of their child's problem and used aggressive and self-destructive humor styles toward healthy parents. Therefore, parents of mentally retarded children need more attention and support in the education and training of children.
Alimohammad Naemi
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of positive thinking training on the alexithymia and self- forgiveness of the mothers of children with learning disabilities of Sabzevar in 2017. Semiexperimental pretest-posttest with control-group was used for this study. 34 mothers ...
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The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of positive thinking training on the alexithymia and self- forgiveness of the mothers of children with learning disabilities of Sabzevar in 2017. Semiexperimental pretest-posttest with control-group was used for this study. 34 mothers of children with learning disabilities 6-12 years old were randomly selected and replaced in two groups. After conducting the pre-test using the Torento alexithymia scale (TAS-20) and self-forgiveness scale of Wohl, Deshea & Wahkinney. The experimental group received positive thinking training during twelve sessions 75 minutes, and then the post-test was conducted. Data were compared using covariance analysis. The results showed that positive thinking training increased the Self-Forgiveness and components (Self-Forgivenessf feelings and actions, Self-Forgiveness beliefs) and decreased alexithymia with components (diffculty in identifying feelings, diffculty in describing feelings, and externally oriented thinking). Accordingly, positive thinking training is an effective intervention program for helping mothers of children with learning disabilities.
akram abbariki; bita shalani
Abstract
Specific learning disability is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Students with this disability, in addition to academic problems, have high levels of socio-emotional problems. The aim of this study was the effectiveness of play with feeling words on reducing alexithymia in students with learning disabilities. ...
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Specific learning disability is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Students with this disability, in addition to academic problems, have high levels of socio-emotional problems. The aim of this study was the effectiveness of play with feeling words on reducing alexithymia in students with learning disabilities. This study is quasi-experimental with pre-post test. The population included all students second to six grade with learning disabilities in Kermanshah that 24 student selected and randomly assigned in two experimental and control groups. The research instrument was Toronto Alexithymia Scale. The experimental group plays feeling words eight sessions 30-minute and twice a week. Covariance analysis indicated that play therapy with feeling words caused reduction in children's alexithymia (P<0/001). Results of this study showed that play therapy with feeling words can be used as a convenient way to help students with learning disorders to reduce their alexithymia. This type of play therapy with symbolic expression of feelings increases ability to express of negative emotions such as anxiety and led to the adaptation.
Parviz Sharifi Daramadi
Volume 3, Issue 12 , December 2014, , Pages 67-82
Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience serious difficulties in identifying, explaining and adjusting to their own and other people’s emotions. A considerable amount of researches has been devoted to finding effective strategies for addressing the problem. The present study examines ...
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Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience serious difficulties in identifying, explaining and adjusting to their own and other people’s emotions. A considerable amount of researches has been devoted to finding effective strategies for addressing the problem. The present study examines effectiveness of group social skills training in dealing with alexithymia in male patients aged 10 to 12 who were diagnosed with autism. The study used a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test and a control group. The sample included 14 autistic boys who were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to the experimental and the control group (7 each). The Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children (Reiffe, Oosterveld and Meerum, 2006) was used for assessing the children in the pre- and post-tests. The experimental group received seven 45-minute sessions of social skills training adopted from Ozonoff (2002). The data were analyzed using repeated measures in SPSS-17 software. The results showed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the post-test phase, with the former showing a significant decrease in alexithymia. The study suggests that social skills training programs could be used in dealing with alexithymia in autistic children and in designing curricula for them.