Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences
Volume 25, Issue 5 (11-2026)
JRUMS 2026, 25(5): 479-498 |
Back to browse issues page
Ethics code: IR.IAU.KSH.REC.1403.060
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Rasoulitabar M, Kakabraee K, Hosseini S S, Afsharinia K. Comparing the Effectiveness of Mentalization and Interpersonal Problem-Solving Therapies on Social Problem-Solving and Subjective Well-Being of Adolescents at Risk for Anxiety: A Quasi-Experimental Study. , JRUMS. 2026; 25 (5) :479-498
URL: http://journal.rums.ac.ir/article-1-7949-en.html
URL: http://journal.rums.ac.ir/article-1-7949-en.html
Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah Branch
Abstract: (178 Views)
Background and Objectives: Improving social problem solving and mental well-being of individuals, especially teenagers, is one of the important goals of every country. The purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of mentalizing and interpersonal problem-solving treatments on social problem solving and mental well-being of adolescents at risk of developing anxiety.
Materials and Methods: This isa semi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design and follow-up with a control group. Sixty adolescents at risk of anxiety referring to the counseling centers of Kermanshah city in 2024 were selected using available sampling and included in three groups of 20 people (two experimental groups and one control group) by the age and gender matching method. The intervention groups received 12 sessions of group therapy based on mentalization and interpersonal problem-solving therapy, and the control group did not receive any intervention. Beck's anxiety questionnaire, D'Zurilla and Nezu's social problem solving and Diener's subjective well-being were used to gather the data. Data analysis was performed using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Results: The effectiveness of mentalizing and interpersonal problem-solving treatments on social problem solving and mental well-being in adolescents at risk of anxiety was significant (P<0.05); also there was a significant difference between the effectiveness of treatments (P<0.05). Interpersonal problem-solving therapy had a greater effect on social problem solving and mentalization therapy on the mental well-being of adolescents (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Treatments based on mentalization and interpersonal problem solving affected the improvement of social problem solving and mental well-being of adolescents at risk of anxiety; further attention to educational measures based on these interventions is recommended.
Keywords: Mentalization-based therapy, Interpersonal problem-solving therapy, Social problem solving, Mental well-being, Anxiety
Funding: This study did not receive any funds.
Conflict of interest: None declared.
Ethical Considerations (Code of Ethics): The Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah Branch, approved the study (IR.SHAHED.MED.REC.1404.026).
Authors’ contributions
-Conceptualization: Mohammad Reza Rasouli Tabar, Keivan Kakabraee
-Methodology: Mohammad Reza Rasouli Tabar
-Data collection: Mohammad Reza Rasouli Tabar
-Formal analysis: Mohammad Reza Rasouli Tabar
-Supervision: Keivan Kakabraee, Karim Afsharinia
-Project administration: Keivan Kakabraee
-Writing – original draft: Mohammad Reza Rasouli Tabar
-Writing – review & editing: Mohammad Reza Rasouli Tabar, Keivan Kakabraee, Karim Afsharinia
Materials and Methods: This isa semi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design and follow-up with a control group. Sixty adolescents at risk of anxiety referring to the counseling centers of Kermanshah city in 2024 were selected using available sampling and included in three groups of 20 people (two experimental groups and one control group) by the age and gender matching method. The intervention groups received 12 sessions of group therapy based on mentalization and interpersonal problem-solving therapy, and the control group did not receive any intervention. Beck's anxiety questionnaire, D'Zurilla and Nezu's social problem solving and Diener's subjective well-being were used to gather the data. Data analysis was performed using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Results: The effectiveness of mentalizing and interpersonal problem-solving treatments on social problem solving and mental well-being in adolescents at risk of anxiety was significant (P<0.05); also there was a significant difference between the effectiveness of treatments (P<0.05). Interpersonal problem-solving therapy had a greater effect on social problem solving and mentalization therapy on the mental well-being of adolescents (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Treatments based on mentalization and interpersonal problem solving affected the improvement of social problem solving and mental well-being of adolescents at risk of anxiety; further attention to educational measures based on these interventions is recommended.
Keywords: Mentalization-based therapy, Interpersonal problem-solving therapy, Social problem solving, Mental well-being, Anxiety
Funding: This study did not receive any funds.
Conflict of interest: None declared.
Ethical Considerations (Code of Ethics): The Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah Branch, approved the study (IR.SHAHED.MED.REC.1404.026).
Authors’ contributions
-Conceptualization: Mohammad Reza Rasouli Tabar, Keivan Kakabraee
-Methodology: Mohammad Reza Rasouli Tabar
-Data collection: Mohammad Reza Rasouli Tabar
-Formal analysis: Mohammad Reza Rasouli Tabar
-Supervision: Keivan Kakabraee, Karim Afsharinia
-Project administration: Keivan Kakabraee
-Writing – original draft: Mohammad Reza Rasouli Tabar
|
Citation: Rasoulitabar MR, Kakabraee K, Hosseini SS, Afsharinia K.Comparing the Effectiveness of Mentalization and Interpersonal Problem-Solving Therapies on Social Problem-Solving and Subjective Well-Being of Adolescents at Risk for Anxiety: A Quasi-Experimental Study. J Rafsanjan Univ Med Sci 2026; 25 (5): 479-498. doi: 10.66224/jrums.25.5.479. [Farsi].
|
Keywords: Mentalization-based therapy, Interpersonal problem-solving therapy, Social problem solving, Mental well-being, Anxiety
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Psychiatry
Received: 2026/02/26 | Accepted: 2026/10/17 | Published: 2026/11/19
Received: 2026/02/26 | Accepted: 2026/10/17 | Published: 2026/11/19
References
1. Farokhsiri Y, Saiedmanesh M, Azizibandarabadi M. The Effectiveness of Computer-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation on Improving Cognitive Impairment in Adolescents with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Clinical Psychology Studies 2023; 13(51): 61-90. [Farsi]
2. Zhou K, Chen J, Huang CH. Tang S. Prevalence of and factors influencing depression and anxiety among Chinese adolescents: a protocol for a systematic review. BMJ Open 2023; 13(3): e068119.
3. Alves F, Figueiredo DV, Vagos P. The prevalence of adolescent social fears and social anxiety disorder in school contexts. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19(19): 12458.
4. Allen KB, Benningfield M, Blackford JU. Childhood Anxiety—If We Know So Much, Why Are We Doing So Little. JAMA Psychiatry 2020; 77(9): 887-8.
5. Romano M, Moscovitch DA, Ma A, Huppert JD. Social problem solving in social anxiety disorder. J Anxiety Disord 2019; 68: 102152.
6. Haghighi Kermanshahi M, Kakabaraee K. The effectiveness of interpersonal problem-solving education on the social problem of young women prisoners. Journal of Psychological Science 2021; 20(105): 1617-30. [Farsi]
7. Naseri Karimvand A, Azami Y. The mediating role of competence perception and social problem-solving in the relationship between attachment styles and aggression in adolescents. Rooyesh 2021; 10(6): 75-84. [Farsi]
8. Azari Z, Aminimanesh S, Mozafari M, Omidvar B. The efficacy of mindfulness-based life skill training on parent-child relationship among parents of children with mild intellectual disability. Journal of Psychological Science 2022; 21(115): 1427-42. [Farsi]
9. Eshghi M, Hossein Zadeh Ghasem Abad A. The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Mental Well-Being and Sleep Quality in Perfectionist Students. Rooyesh 2026; 15(1): 231-40. [Farsi]
10. Kruger K, Jellie J, Jarkowski O, Keglevich S, On ZX. Maladaptive and adaptive perfectionism impact psychological well-being through mediator self-efficacy versus resilience. International Journal of Psychological Studies 2023; 15(3): 46-59.
11. Midgley N, Mortimer R, Carter M, Casey P, Coffman L, Edbrooke-Childs J. Emotion regulation in children (ERiC): A protocol for a randomised clinical trial to evaluate the clinical and cost effectiveness of Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT) vs Treatment as Usual for school-age children with mixed emotional and behavioural difficulties. PLoS ONE 2023; 18(8): e0289503.
12. Schwarzer N-H, Nolte T, Fonagy P, Gingelmaier S. Mentalizing and emotion regulation: Evidence from a nonclinical sample. International Forum of Psychoanalysis 2021; 30: 34–45.
13. Karaoglan Yilmaz F, Yilmaz R, Erdogdu F. The Relationship Between Nomophobia, Emotional Intelligence, Interpersonal Problem-Solving, Perceived Stress, and Self-esteem Among Undergraduate Students. J technol behav sci 2023; 8: 27–35.
14. Khajevand S, Bahreinian A, Nasri M, Shahabizadeh F. Comparing the effectiveness of treatment based on mentalization and treatment based on parent-child relationship on executive functions and anxiety symptoms of anxious children. CPJ 2024; 12(1): 91-105. [Farsi]
15. Kakabraee K, Moradi AR. family-oriented problem-solving training to parents and the impact on the child's perception of parents. Journal of Counseling and Psychotherapy 2017; (8)29: 165-85. [Farsi]
16. D’Zurilla TJ, Nezu AM, Maydeu-Olivares A. Manual for the social problem solving inventory-revised (pp. 211-44). Nourth Tonawanda, TY: Multi-Health Systems. 2002.
17. Batman P, Fonagy P. Mentalization-based treatment for personality disorders. World Psychiatry 2016; 9(1): 11-5.
18. Beck AT, Epstein N, Brown G, Steer RA. An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: psychometric properties. J Consult Clin Psychol 1988; 56: 893-7.
19. Beck AT, Steer RA. Beck Depression Inventory Manual. The Psychological Corporation. Harcourt Brace & Company. San Antonio. 1993: 178-9.
20. Farhadi A, Movahedi M, Movahedi Y. The efficacy of cognitive therapy based on presence of mind in reduction of anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease: with a 2 month follow up. Yafte 2014; 15(4): 20-9. [Farsi]
21. Rafiei M, Seifi A. An investigation into the reliability and validity of Beck Anxiety Inventory among the university students. Thoughts and Behavior in Clinical Psychology 2013; 8(27): 37-46. [Farsi]
22. Yamini S, Sharifi Daramadi P, Aghaei H. The Effectiveness of Positive Cognitive Behavioral Training on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Adult Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. MEJDS 2022; 12: 269. [Farsi]
23. Mokhberi A, Dartaj F, Darrekordi A. Study of psychometric indices and norming of the social problem-solving ability questionnaire. Quarterly of Educational Measurement 2011; 2(4): 1-21. [Farsi]
24. Diener EF. Subjective well-being. Psychological Bull 1984; 95(3): 542-75.
25. Watson D, Clark LA, Tellegen A. Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. J Pers Soc Psychol 1988; 54(6): 1063-70.
26. Kakabraee K, Afrooz Gh, Hooman H, Moradi A. Study and comparison of subjective well-being, coping styles and perceived social support of parents of exceptional and normal children. Research in psychological health 2012; 5(2): 45-58. [Farsi]
27. Haj Mohammad Hosseini T, Mirza Hosseini H, Zargham Hajibi M. Comparing the effectiveness of mentalization-based therapy and emotive-phobic therapy on reducing depressive symptoms in women with borderline personality disorder. AFTJ 2022; 1(10): 21-36. [Farsi]
28. Ghadernejad M, Etemadnia M, Farshbaf Mani Sefat F. Comparison of the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy and a combination of dialectical behavior therapy and mentalization-based therapy in improving symptoms in people with borderline personality disorder. Nursing and Midwifery Journal 2022; 20(4): 312-23. [Farsi]
29. Shabani H. Investigating the effectiveness of mentalization therapy on cognitive flexibility, subjective well-being and anxiety in adolescent girls. Scientific Journal of New Research Approaches in Management and Accounting 2024; 8(28): 16-30. [Farsi]
30. Tosifian N, Marashi SA, Bashlideh K. The role of pro-social behavior in promoting students' psychological well-being through the mediation of positive emotions and the moderation of emotion regulation. Cognitive Behavioral Sciences Research 2021; 2(21): 107-22. [Farsi]
31. Salmanian S, Jabalameli S, Moghimian M, Arjmandi F. Comparison of the effectiveness of metallization-based therapy and emotion-regulated therapy based on the Gross process model on self-compassion and resilience in Critical Care Unit Nurses. NPWJM 2022; 10 (36): 68-77. [Farsi]
32. Ferrero A, Gagliardini G, Simonelli BF, Fassina S, Lerda S, Gullo S, et al. Changes in mentalization in patients with personality disorders during sequential brief—Adlerian psychodynamic psychotherapy: The role of therapists’ technique and countertransference. Personal Disord 2024; 15(4): 226-40.
33. Haghighi Kermanshahi M, Kakabaraee K. The effectiveness of interpersonal problem solving education on the social problem of young women prisoners. Journal of Psychological Science 2021; 20(105): 1617-30. [Farsi]
34. Kakabraee K, Emami Ale-Agha Sh. The effectiveness of problem-solving training on behavioral problems of preschool children with behavioral disorders. Journal of Empowerment of Exceptional Children 2018; 9(1): 51-64. [Farsi]
35. Asadi Gandomani R, Nasaian A, Pezez Sh, Hashemi Azar J, Sarami Gh, Sina M. The effect of role playing training on social skills in student with mild intellectualDisability. Psychology of Exceptional Individuals 2016; 5(18): 136-55. [Farsi]
36. Mostafazadeh A, Vaziri A, Molayi Zarandi H. The Effectiveness of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms and Anxiety in Adolescents with Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms. JPEN 2025; 11(3): 12-21. [Farsi]
37.
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |