INTRODUCTION:Fear of childbirth is a common problem in pregnant women, which in many cases leads to maternal requested cesarean. A midwife, as a responsible person, plays an important role in providing advice and giving care to mothers during pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of individual counseling program by a midwife on fear of childbirth in primiparous women.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This clinical trial was conducted in 2015–16, on ninety primiparous women with gestational ages of 28–30 weeks, who presented themselves at health-care centers in Mashhad. The individuals were randomly divided into two groups: intervention and control. The intervention group received the counseling program individually during three sessions, and the routine care was given to the control group. Data collection tools the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire. The data were collected at recruitment during 34–36 weeks of pregnancy and were analyzed using SPSS 16 software and the statistical tests: Chi-square and t-test, and P < 0.05 was considered to be significant.RESULTS:During weeks 34–36 of pregnancy, the mean scores for fear of childbirth in the intervention group and control group were 39.733 ± 17.085 and 65.666 ± 15.019, respectively, and there was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.001).CONCLUSION:The individual counseling program provided by the midwife to the primiparous women during pregnancy resulted in reduced fear of childbirth.

BackgroundDespite the fact that both men and women are equally subject to infertility, it is usually women who bear the burden of treatment and its consequences, even in cases of male infertility. Therefore, it is more necessary to recognize their health problems in order to help them.AimTo explore women’s perceptions and experiences of the challenges they face in the process of male infertility treatment.MethodsThis qualitative study was conducted during 2014–2015 using content analysis. Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with women whose husbands suffered from male infertility. Purposive sampling was conducted until data saturation was achieved. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using conventional content analysis adopted by Graneheim and Lundman.ResultsFrom data analysis, the major category of “treatment-related stresses” and four subcategories of “high treatment expenses”, “inefficiency of healthcare system”, “being captive in the infertility treatment” and “treatment failure” emerged.ConclusionExperiences of women who face male infertility indicate their various concerns in the process of treatment. Therefore, it is required to develop emotional and financial support for the clients and to promote their quality of healthcare services. In addition, awareness of treatment challenges of these women can assist proper planning to promote the quality of services they need.

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Background: Different methods have been used to treat depression caused by marital relationships. Objectives: The present study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment in decreasing depression associated with marital problems. Methods: The present controlled clinical trial was conducted on a statistical population comprising all women with depression associated with marital problems presenting to psychological clinics in Mashhad, Iran. Thirty five of these patients were randomly selected and assigned to an intervention group and a control group. Twelve sessions of group therapy were held in the intervention group based on the unified protocol for transdiagnostic disorders, whereas members of the control group participated in a language course. The structured clinical interview for DSM-IV (SCID), the Beck Depression Inventory-II and the communication patterns questionnaire were used to collect the data. Results: The pre-treatment and post-treatment scores obtained from ANCOVA showed significant differences in depression (P < 0.05), the mutual avoidance of communication subscale (P < 0.05), the mutual constructive communication subscale (P < 0.05) and the demand/withdraw subscale (P < 0.05). Conclusions: According to the obtained findings, the unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment can be considered effective in improving the symptoms of depression associated with marital relationships.

Depression is one the most common mental disorders in prisons. People living with HIV are more likely to develop psychological difficulties when compared with the general population. This study aims to determine the efficacy of cognitive group therapy based on schema-focused approach in reducing depression in prisoners living with HIV. The design of this study was between-groups (or "independent measures"). It was conducted with pretest, posttest, and waiting list control group. The research population comprised all prisoners living with HIV in a men's prison in Iran. Based on voluntary desire, screening, and inclusion criteria, 42 prisoners living with HIV participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to an experimental group (21 prisoners) and waiting list control group (21 prisoners). The experimental group received 11 sessions of schema-focused cognitive group therapy, while the waiting list control group received the treatment after the completion of the study. The various groups were evaluated in terms of depression. ANCOVA models were employed to test the study hypotheses. Collated results indicated that depression was reduced among prisoners in the experimental group. Schema therapy (ST) could reduce depression among prisoners living with HIV/AIDS.