Hospital Practices and Research

Abstract Background: Menopause represents a significant physiological and psychological transition, often accompanied by negative attitudes and considerable challenges in health adjustment.
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness training in improving attitudes toward menopause and health adjustment among menopausal women.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test, post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included menopausal women referred to a health center in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2024. A sample of 30 eligible women aged 51-65 years was selected using convenience sampling and randomly allocated into two equal groups (experimental, n = 15; control, n = 15). The experimental group received eight 70-minute sessions of mindfulness training, while the control group was placed on a waitlist. Data were collected using the Attitudes Toward Menopause Questionnaire and the Health Adjustment subscale of the Bell Adjustment Inventory. Data were analyzed using Chi-square and Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) via SPSS 25.
Results: Initial analysis indicated no significant differences in age and educational level between the two groups (P > 0.05). The MANCOVA results showed that the mindfulness intervention significantly improved both attitudes toward menopause (η²p = 0.60) and health adjustment (η²p = 0.57) in the experimental group compared to the control group (P < 0.001), with large effect sizes.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that mindfulness training is an effective, non-pharmacological intervention for enhancing psychological resilience and improving women's adaptation during the menopausal transition. Specialists and therapists are encouraged to incorporate mindfulness protocols into women's health promotion and counseling programs.

Abstract Background: Patients with schizophrenia can experience a deteriorated performance in many of the skills needed in daily life, the workplace, the family circle, or in social interactions.
Objective: This definitive study used comparison to evaluate the functionality, treatment compliance to therapy, and styles of coping with stress of schizophrenic patients who work and are members of an association.
Methods: The individuals participating in this study were divided into four groups. Group 1 were members of an association and employed; Group 2 were members of an association and unemployed; Group 3 comprised non-members who were employed; and group 4 were non-members and unemployed. A total of 60 patients (15 in each group) comprised the sample. Data was collected by means of the Individual Information Form, the Adaptation Rate Scale for Medical Therapy, the Functional Recovery Scale in Schizophrenia Patients, and the Scale for Coping with Stress. Statistical analyses and interpretations were conducted using frequency and percentage, t test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to assess the data.
Results: It was observed that being a member of an association and working at a job affected the social and occupational functionalities in schizophrenia patients participating in the study, but the styles of therapy adaptation and coping with stress did not affect these areas.
Conclusion: Results indicated that the use of current antipsychotic drugs did not affect functional areas, therapy adaptation, or styles of coping with stress.