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<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Depression can be characterized by rumination that is featured by spontaneity and perseveration of internally oriented thoughts. At the same time, depressed subjects complain about abnormal slowness and lack of power/energy in their thoughts, suggesting abnormal “thought dynamics.” The relationship between rumination and thought dynamics in depression remains unclear, though. <b><i>Method:</i></b> We investigated thought dynamics and rumination in healthy control, major depressive disorder (MDD), and depressed bipolar disorder (BD) subjects. The dynamics in the spontaneous shift between internally and externally oriented thoughts were measured by a novel method of continuous experience sampling whose time series was subjected to power and frequency analyses. Subjects filled out the Beck Depression Inventory-II and Ruminative Response Scale questionnaires to evaluate current depressive symptoms and ruminative responses to negative affect. The methods used to analyze data included χ², Pearson correlation, ANOVA, and partial correlation. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Our main findings are: (i) increased number and longer duration of internally oriented thought contents in MDD and BD; (ii) reduced thought dynamics with slower frequency (calculated in Hz) and decreased power (power spectral density) in shifting between internally and externally oriented thoughts, especially in MDD and, less strongly, in BD subjects; and (iii) power spectral density as a dimension of thought dynamics is related to brooding rumination with depression severity explaining high degrees of their variance. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our results show slow frequency and low power in the internal-external thought dynamic of acute MDD and depressed BD. Together with its close relation to depression severity and rumination, our findings highlight the key importance of abnormal dynamics on the cognitive level of depression.

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Introduction: Suicidal and self-harm behaviors are among the topics that have long been considered by clinical psychologists. Aim: The present study aimed to compare suicidal and self-harm behaviors and the guilt and shame proneness among individuals with the "dark tetrad personality traits" and the "vulnerable dark triad" Method: The present cross-sectional study is a type of structural equation modeling that has been conducted using a large sample. The statistical population in the "general population" consists of all young people aged 18-40 in Tehran. The "clinical population" also included all people with suicidal and self-harm behaviors of the same age range. A total of 1876 people were included in the present analysis among which 1696 individuals were selected for the general population using online surveys and 180 ones in purposive sampling for the clinical population from psychiatric hospitals, and prisons located in Tehran. The research tools in the present study included the Short Dark Tetrad (SD4), Scales for vulnerable dark personality traits, the Guilt and Shame Proneness Scale (GASP), the Self-Harm Inventory (SHI) and Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). Data were analyzed by SPSS-26 and AMOS-24 using a comparison of path coefficients and invariance Testing. Results: The findings indicated that only a statistically significant difference observed between the dark tetrad of personality traits and the vulnerable dark triad was self-harm behaviors (not Suicidal Behaviors) (P<0.001, t=6.603, Δβ=0.13). Also, people with vulnerable dark triad possessed more pathological shame (P<0.001, t=7.346, β=0.21) compared to those with dark tetrad of personality traits. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the vulnerable dark triad (Factor 2 psychopathy, vulnerable narcissism and BPD) is associated with an increasingly greater risk of self-harm behaviors and pathological shame compared to a dark tetrad of personality (Sadism, Psychopathy, Machiavellianism and Narcissism).

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Introduction: cognitive flexibility and self-differentiation are the appropriate models for understanding psychological problems through which people can meet various challenges. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive flexibility and self-differentiation with psychological problems among female students in Allameh Tabataba'i University. Materials and Methods: The method of this study was descriptive-correlational and statistical population was comprised of all female students at AllamehTabataba'i University in Tehran who have been studying between 2014-2015. Using random multiple cluster sampling method, a group of 380 students were selected. Tools were questionnaires of cognitive flexibility, self-differentiation and symptoms checklist (SCL-90-R). Data were analyzed by descriptive statistical parameters, correlation coefficient, and regression analysis. Results: Analysis revealed a significant correlation between total score of psychological problems with cognitive flexibility and self-differentiation. In addition, the results of multiple regression analysis showed that cognitive flexibility and self-differentiation can explain different kinds and levels of psychological problems in students. Conclusion: study of cognitive flexibility and self-differentiation are efficient methods to understand the underlying factors associated with psychological problems. Evaluation of these factors can lead to a new approach in prevention and treatment of psychological problems.