I am Dr. Younes Doostian, an Assistant Professor in the Counseling Department.
My work revolves around understanding the relationship between life's challenges and the human psyche's power. I investigate how experiences such as trauma, addiction, and social stigma affect quality of life, while also seeking to identify the factors of resilience that enable individuals to overcome these adversities.
My academic background in Rehabilitation Counseling, spanning my Bachelor's, Master's, and Ph.D. studies, has laid the foundation for this passion. My ultimate goal through teaching and research is to contribute to the promotion of mental health and the empowerment of individuals in our community.
My research interests focus on psychosocial rehabilitation with an emphasis on enhancing quality of life and well-being. The ultimate goal of my research is to develop practical, evidence-based approaches in rehabilitation counseling that lead to sustainable improvement and meaningful enhancement of quality of life.
My specialized areas focus on communities with disabilities and special needs, centered around three main pillars: psychosocial rehabilitation aimed at strengthening personal independence and social integration, practical and applied interventions based on real-world community needs, and addiction counseling for providing effective services to at-risk groups. My expertise in these areas concentrates on designing comprehensive rehabilitation programs and delivering specialized services to individuals with disabilities.
- Bachelor, Guidance and Counseling, University of Razi [Kermanshah - Iran]
- Master's degree, Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Allameh Tabataba'i [Tehran - Iran]
- Ph.D., Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences [Tehran - Iran]
Articles
Middle East Journal Of Rehabilitation And Health Studies (24234451)12(2)
Background: This case-control study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the Bender-Gestalt test (BGT) in identifying neuropsychological impairments in individuals with drug abuse compared to healthy controls. Methods: A total of 70 participants, comprising 52 individuals with drug abuse and 18 healthy controls, all with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score greater than 15, were included in the study. Each participant completed the BGT to assess visual-motor and neuropsychological impairments. Results: Individuals with drug abuse exhibited significantly more visual-motor errors than healthy controls, including rotation/reversal (P < 0.001), omissions (P = 0.004), and partial rotation (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The BGT is a reliable and cost-effective tool for detecting neuropsychological impairments in individuals with drug abuse. © 2025, Doostian et al.
Journal of Social Work Practice in the Addictions (1533256X)
This study aims to validate the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH) Scale among the Iranian population to better understand the role of self-stigma in mental health help-seeking behaviors. Mental health stigma, particularly self-stigma, significantly impacts individuals’ willingness to seek psychological assistance, often leading to adverse mental health outcomes. We conducted a two-phase validation study comprising translation and cultural adaptation, followed by psychometric evaluation with a sample of 404 people who use substances in Karaj, Iran. Results demonstrated that the SSOSH scale exhibits robust psychometric properties, including high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.93) and a confirmed one-factor structure. This research the importance of culturally relevant instruments in addressing mental health stigma, thereby informing mental health policies and interventions to facilitate greater access to mental health services in Iran. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Siminghalam, M.,
Alibakhshi, H.,
Bakhtiyari, J.,
Salmani, M.,
Doostian, Y. Iranian Rehabilitation Journal (17353602)20(3)pp. 327-332
Objectives: The accuracy of diagnosis in mental disorders, such as depression is the basis of correct treatment. The present study aimed to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of the new multidimensional depression scale in diagnosing depressive disorder. Methods: Two groups of participants were assessed by the new multidimensional depression scale (NMDS) and structured clinical interview for axis i disorders (SCID-I). The experimental group included 55 outpatientswith major depressive disorder selected via the convenience sampling method. The control group included 95 university students recruited via a multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data were analyzed by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis to achieve the cut-off score. Results: Based on the results of the ROC analysis, the cutoff score of 106 was the intersection of the two sensitivity and specificity indices, where these two indices have an optimal relationship. This score simultaneously provided the lowest number of false positives and false negatives compared to other scores. Discussion: It can be acknowledged that the present study supports the clinical efficacy of the new multidimensional depression scale as a screening instrument for diagnosing depressive disorder. © 2022,Iranian Rehabilitation Journal. All Rights Reserved.
Azimian, M.,
Arian, M.,
Shojaei, S.F.,
Doostian, Y.,
Barmi, B.E.,
Khanjani, M.S. Iranian Journal Of Psychiatry (17354587)16(3)pp. 260-270
Objective: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, progressive neurological disease that, due to its special nature, has various physical and mental influences on the patients and their family's lives, decreasing the quality of life and threatening the meaning of life. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the group hope therapy training on the quality and the meaning of life in patients with multiple sclerosis and their family caregivers. Method: This quasi-experimental study was performed using pretest-posttest and control group. Thirty patients with multiple sclerosis along with 30 family caregivers who got low to medium scores on the Meaning in Life questionnaire by Steger (MLQ), Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29), and the Iranian Quality of Life questionnaire (IRQOL) for the caregivers were selected purposively. Then, the patients were randomly divided into two groups of 15 individuals in experimental and 15 individuals in control groups. The caregivers were grouped in the same manner. The protocol of group hope therapy training was carried out through eight two-hour sessions in two weeks separately on two experimental groups (the patients and the caregivers), and finally the posttest was given to four experimental and control groups. Results: The results of the data showed that the meaning of life in both the patient and the caregiver experimental groups increased significantly (P < 0.001), but there was no significant change in the patient and the caregiver control groups. Conclusion: Group hope therapy training is an effective intervention for improving the meaning of life and the quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis. Also, any psychological intervention that aims to improve the quality of life in patients in an advanced stage of the disease requires attention to both the physical and the mental issues at the same time. Although group hope therapy training has improved the meaning of life in such patients, it did not have a significant impact on the quality of life. Therefore, paying attention to the stages of multiple sclerosis and the physical condition of the patients during the therapeutic intervention and adopting necessary complementary interventions seems to be essential. Copyright © 2021 Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
