Journal of

The present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of emotional working memory in the relationship between attentional bias and depressive symptoms within the context of family interactions. Guided by contemporary cognitive–emotional models of depression, the study explored how negative attentional bias, as a core vulnerability factor, may influence depressive symptomatology through impairments in emotional working memory, and how these processes are embedded in the dynamics of family relationships. This research employed a descriptive-correlational design using structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of adults aged 20–40 years living in active family systems in Tehran in 2025. A total of 350 participants were selected through purposive convenient sampling following eligibility screening. Research instruments included measures of depressive symptoms, attentional bias, emotional working memory performance, and family interaction patterns. The results demonstrated that negative attentional bias significantly predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly. Emotional working memory showed a significant mediating role, indicating that deficits in maintaining, updating, and regulating emotional information constitute a key mechanism linking attentional bias to depressive experiences. Furthermore, family interactions functioned as an amplifying contextual factor: maladaptive and conflictual family environments strengthened the indirect pathway by increasing cognitive–emotional load and reducing regulatory resources. The final structural model showed acceptable fit indices and supported the hypothesized mediational relationships. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of integrating cognitive, emotional, and contextual variables in understanding depressive symptoms. They also underscore the potential value of interventions targeting attentional processing biases and emotional working memory capacities, particularly within family-based therapeutic frameworks.

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on the emotional schema of shame and emotional expressivity in adolescent boys with high social anxiety in District 13 of Tehran. This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest and follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all male students in the first and second levels of secondary school with high social anxiety in the 2025–2026 academic year. Using a multistage cluster sampling method, 30 students whose scores on the Social Anxiety Questionnaire were above the cutoff point were selected and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). The research instruments included the Leahy Emotional Schema Scale (2002), the Emotional Expressivity Scale (King & Emmons, 1990), and the Social Anxiety Questionnaire (Connor et al., 2000). The experimental group received Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in eight 120-minute sessions, whereas the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance in SPSS version 26. The results indicated that the effects of time, group, and the interaction between time and group on the dependent variables were statistically significant . Furthermore, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy led to a significant and sustained reduction in the emotional schema of shame and a significant increase in emotional expressivity in the experimental group compared with the control group at the posttest and follow-up stages. Based on the findings, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can be considered an effective intervention for reducing the emotional schema of shame and improving emotional expressivity in adolescents with social anxiety.

Generation Z is the first generation to grow up in the digital age and in the context of advanced technologies. Emotion regulation, as the process of managing and moderating emotional responses, plays a key role in students' adaptation to challenges. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify emotion regulation strategies among Generation Z students. This qualitative research employed a thematic analysis approach and is therefore considered applied research. The statistical population included all Generation Z students across the country. From this population, 30 students from the University of Tehran were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling and participated voluntarily in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. After coding the interview transcripts, 30 basic themes, 10 organizing themes, and 3 global themes were identified, categorized into three strategies domains: internal, external, and hybrid strategies. The findings highlight the importance of integrating emotion regulation strategies training into intervention programs tailored to the specific needs of Generation Z within university policies.