https://ppls.ui.ac.ir/ Positive Psychology Research en daily 1 Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0330 https://ppls.ui.ac.ir/article_30471.html The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the role of attachment styles, meaning in life, and rumination in predicting post-traumatic growth among firefighters. The research method was descriptive-correlational using structural equation modeling. The sample consisted of 200 firefighters from three operational districts of the Tehran Municipality Fire Department, including Operational District One, Operational District Three, and Operational District Six, who were selected through multi-stage random sampling according to inclusion criteria. The study employed questionnaires for organizational trauma, post-traumatic growth, attachment styles, meaning in life, and rumination. Data analysis was performed using Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling. The findings indicated that secure attachment style has a positive and significant effect on post-traumatic growth, while avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles do not have a significant effect on it. Furthermore, meaning in life has a positive and significant relationship with post-traumatic growth, but the effect of rumination on post-traumatic growth, although positive in coefficient, is not statistically significant. Additionally, the final research model concerning the structural relationship of post-traumatic growth based on attachment styles, meaning in life, and rumination among firefighters demonstrates satisfactory fit. Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that post-traumatic growth is influenced by attachment styles, meaning in life, and rumination, and these findings can be used to enhance post-traumatic growth among firefighters. Introduction* Due to frequent exposure to traumatic events and stressful working conditions, firefighters are at high risk of developing mental disorders. However, some of them show positive psychological changes called post-traumatic growth (PTG) after experiencing these events. Post-traumatic growth refers to the positive reconstruction of beliefs, enhancement of personal strength, and improvement of interpersonal relationships following trauma. Previous research has shown that attachment styles (especially secure attachment) and meaning in life can be important predictors of PTG. Furthermore, rumination as a cognitive process can influence the path of post-traumatic growth or disorder. Despite the importance of these variables, limited studies have been conducted among firefighters. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to investigate the structural model of post-traumatic growth based on attachment styles, meaning in life, and rumination among firefighters.   Method The present study was applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational in terms of method using structural equation modeling. The statistical population included all firefighters working in three operational districts of the Tehran Municipality Fire Department (Districts One, Three, and Six) in 2025. Using multi-stage random sampling based on inclusion criteria (informed consent and obtaining a high score on the Organizational Trauma Questionnaire), 200 individuals were selected as the final sample (102 with a bachelor's degree, 75 with a master's degree or higher, 163 married). Research instruments included the Organizational Trauma Questionnaire, Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, Attachment Styles Questionnaire, Meaning in Life Questionnaire, and Rumination Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling with SPSS 26 and AMOS 24 software. Prior to the main analysis, the assumptions of univariate and multivariate normality, absence of outliers, and lack of multicollinearity were examined and confirmed.   Results Prior to testing the hypotheses, the statistical assumptions of structural equation modeling were examined. Assessment of skewness (range: -0.76 to 2.73) and kurtosis (range: -0.75 to 11.02) indicated that the data had univariate normal distribution. Mardia's standardized kurtosis coefficient was 4.621 and the critical ratio was 2.598. Both of the indices were less than 5, confirming the assumption of multivariate normality. Examination of Mahalanobis distance revealed the presence of three multivariate outliers, which were removed from the final analysis. Furthermore, the tolerance index (Tolerance > 0.1) and variance inflation factor (VIF < 5) indicated the absence of multicollinearity among the research variables. The results of the Pearson correlation matrix are presented in Table 1. As can be observed, post-traumatic growth has a positive and significant relationship with secure attachment style and meaning in life. In other words, an increase in secure attachment style and meaning in life is associated with an increase in post-traumatic growth among firefighters. Moreover, post-traumatic growth showed a negative and significant relationship with rumination. Among insecure attachment styles, both avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles also had a positive and significant relationship with post-traumatic growth.   Table 1 Correlation Matrix Between Research Variables Variable 1 2 3 4 5 6 1-Secure attachment style 1           2-Avoidant attachment style 0.268** 1         3-Ambivalent attachment style 0.444** 0.666** 1       4- Rumination -0.483** -0.060 -0.070 1     5- Meaning in life 0.193** 0.130 0.405** -0.120 1   6-Post-traumatic growth 0.563** 0.387** 0.402** -0.279** 0.344**   **. *p* < 0.01 (two-tailed)   To evaluate the fit of the proposed structural model, various fit indices were used. The results presented in Table 2 indicate that the final research model has a satisfactory fit. The relative chi-square value (CMIN/DF) was 2.20, which is less than 3, indicating a good model fit. The comparative fit indices, including CFI (0.978), IFI (0.978), and GFI (0.964), were all greater than 0.9, suggesting a very good model fit. Furthermore, the RMSEA value was 0.069 (with a 90% confidence interval: 0.05 to 0.07), which is less than 0.08, indicating an acceptable model fit. The PNFI (0.619) and PCFI (0.629) indices were also greater than 0.5, indicating a good model fit in terms of parsimony.     Table 2 Appropriateness Indices of the Proposed Research Model Fit Index χ² df P-value CMIN/df RMSEA (90% CI) PNFI CFI PCFI IFI GFI Modified value 130.155 59 <0.001 2.20 0.069 (0.05-0.07) 0.619 0.978 0.629 0.978 0.964 *Acceptable index values: PNFI, PCFI > 0.5; CFI, GFI, IFI > 0.9; RMSEA < 0.08; CMIN/DF < 3 (good), < 5 (acceptable) (Kline, 2023)* After confirming the model fit, the standardized coefficients of the direct paths were examined. The results are presented in Table 3.     Table 3 Standardized Coefficients of the Proposed Research Model Path Standardized Coefficient (β) Standard Error Critical Ratio P-value Secure attachment style → Post-traumatic growth 0.414 0.038 3.604 <0.001 Avoidant attachment style → Post-traumatic growth -0.199 0.009 -1.795 0.073 Ambivalent attachment style → Post-traumatic growth -0.069 0.007 -0.800 0.424 Meaning in life → Post-traumatic growth 0.278 0.023 3.138 0.002 Rumination → Post-traumatic growth 0.076 0.017 0.820 0.401 Based on the results presented in Table 3, secure attachment style had a positive and significant effect on post-traumatic growth (β = 0.414, p < 0.001), while avoidant (β = -0.199, p = 0.073) and ambivalent (β = -0.069, p = 0.424) attachment styles did not show a significant effect on growth. Furthermore, meaning in life had a positive and significant relationship with post-traumatic growth (β = 0.278, p = 0.002), but the effect of rumination on growth, although positive in coefficient, was not statistically significant (β = 0.076, p = 0.401). These results indicate that secure attachment style and meaning in life are effective factors in promoting post-traumatic growth among firefighters.   Conclusion Based on the findings of this study, secure attachment style and meaning in life are two main and effective factors in predicting post-traumatic growth among firefighters. These results are consistent with the findings of previous studies (e.g., Han et al., 2023; Zafartaleb & Taklavi, 2023). Firefighters with secure attachment, due to having an internal secure base and adaptive coping strategies, have a greater ability to transform traumatic experiences into growth opportunities. Furthermore, the presence of meaning in life helps them to redefine the suffering caused by occupational incidents and achieve positive cognitive reconstruction. The non-significance of rumination in the final model may be due to the complex nature of this construct or the moderating role of other variables. Limitations of the study include the cross-sectional design and the impossibility of causal inference, the sole reliance on self-report measures, and the sample being limited to male firefighters. It is suggested that future longitudinal studies be conducted with more diverse samples in terms of gender and using multiple assessment methods.   Ethical Considerations Compliance with Ethical Guidelines This study was approved by the Islamic Azad University Research Ethics Committee (ethics code: IR.IAU.TNB.REC.1403.051). All ethical principles including informed written consent, confidentiality, anonymity of responses, and the right to withdraw were observed. Authors' Contributions First author: Study design, data collection, statistical analysis, drafting and writing of the manuscript.  Corresponding author (Second author): Supervision, conceptualization, methodology development, critical revision of the manuscript, editing and addressing reviewers' comments, final approval for submission, and handling of the peer review process. Conflict of Interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper. Funding This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Acknowledgment The authors thank all firefighters who participated in this study, as well as the officials of the Tehran Fire Department for their cooperation.       *. Corresponding author https://ppls.ui.ac.ir/article_30525.html Interdisciplinary studies characterize the contemporary scientific world. Besides, adopting a psychological perspective on major literary works can deepen understanding of these texts while providing opportunities to apply insights from such works to convey psychological concepts. Parvin Etesami, a prominent contemporary poet, imparts ethical teachings and guidance for human well-being through various poetic forms, narratives, and allegories. This qualitative study was conducted using a deductive thematic analysis approach, aiming to examine the relationship between the themes in Etesami’s poetry and the virtues of positive psychology. The population of this study included the entire Divan of Parvin Etesami, which was analyzed using a census method. The unit of analysis was the couplet. The findings indicated that the themes in Etesami’s poems align with the principles of positive psychology. The most frequently recurring themes were those related to the virtue of wisdom, among which “love of learning” appeared prominent. Following this, the most common themes pertained to the virtue of temperance, with Etesami placing strong emphasis on self-regulation and the control of desires, as well as recommending prudence and foresight. Findings beyond Seligman's model are also evident in Parvin Etesami's poetry: the value of art, seizing opportunities, avoiding bad companions, and endurance, indicating that Parvin had a deeper perspective on human virtues. The application of these concepts, alongside the virtues and strengths highlighted by positive psychology specialists, can transform Parvin's teachings into a valuable resource for completing and enriching the teaching of moral virtues in positive psychology. Introduction* Literature offers valuable insights into individuals and societies, making interdisciplinary studies between literature and psychology significant. Positive psychology identifies virtues and character strengths that foster well-being and flourishing (Carr, 2004). Peterson and Seligman (2004) outlined six universal virtues: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Parvin Etesami’s poetry features numerous moral and educational themes related to these virtues. This study aims to examine how the six virtues identified in positive psychology are represented in the poetry of Parvin Etesami, to determine the relative frequency of these virtues and the factors contributing to their prominence, and to identify the character strengths associated with each virtue, as well as the mechanisms through which they are cultivated in her poetic teachings.   Method This qualitative study employs deductive thematic analysis, with codes selected based on a predetermined theory. The theoretical framework is grounded in the six virtues of positive psychology as classified by Peterson and Seligman (2004). The research corpus comprises the entire Divan of Parvin Etesami, published during the poet's lifetime with an introduction by Malek osh-Sho'ara Bahar, consisting of 5,600 couplets in the forms of odes, masnavis, and fragments. The sampling method was a census, and the unit of analysis was the couplet. The research was conducted following the phases outlined by Clarke and Braun (2006). Initially, the researcher conducted repeated readings of the poems and related works on Parvin Etesami to become familiar with the poet's mindset and the depth and richness of the text. Subsequently, each couplet was assigned to concepts derived from positive psychology virtues based on its theme, and coding was performed manually via note-taking. To ensure the reliability of the results, the entire corpus was re-examined and coded using MAXQDA 2022 software, and basic themes were extracted. Basic themes were then merged, repetitive themes were removed, and themes belonging to each virtue were grouped, resulting in organizing themes. To assess validity, the opinions and guidance of three professors of Persian Language and Literature from Tarbiat Modares University and Allameh Tabataba'i University in Tehran were utilized. Reliability was assessed using a single-coder method with two rounds of coding (manual and computer-assisted). Holsti's coefficient was calculated, yielding 0.79.   Results The findings reveal a substantial alignment between the teachings of Parvin Etesami and the six core virtues identified in Peterson and Seligman’s Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues (2004): Wisdom, Courage, Humanity, Justice, Temperance, and Transcendence. In response to the first research question, a systematic examination of Parvin E'tesami’s poetry demonstrates that all six virtues are represented throughout her Divan. Wisdom is reflected in themes such as the importance of knowledge, love of learning, criticism of ignorance, advocacy of women’s education, reliance on rational judgment, avoidance of actionless speech, and perspective. Courage appears through themes related to speaking the truth, perseverance, and sustained effort. Humanity is represented through friendship, kindness, and helping vulnerable individuals. Justice is reflected in themes of wise leadership and criticism of social injustice. Temperance emerges through prudence, self-regulation, control of desires, humility, and avoidance of selfishness. Transcendence is represented through purity, integrity, spirituality, remembrance of God, and seeking divine assistance. In addition to these six virtues, several themes extending beyond Seligman's model are identified: appreciation of art, valuing opportunities, avoiding bad companions, and practicing patience. These themes suggest a broader and deeper perspective on human excellence in Parvin Etesami’s poetry. Regarding the second research question, line-by-line coding of the Divan indicates that Wisdom is the most frequently recurring virtue. Among its associated character strengths, Love of Learning receives the greatest emphasis. Temperance ranks second in frequency, with particular attention given to self-regulation and control of desires, followed by prudence and future-oriented thinking. The prominence of these two virtues reflects Parvin E'tesami’s concern with education, particularly for women, as well as her emphasis on moderation and self-discipline as essential foundations of moral development. The remaining virtues, including Humanity, Courage, Justice, and Transcendence, appear with lower frequencies. In response to the third research question, the findings indicate specific mechanisms by which each virtue can be cultivated. Wisdom and Knowledge are attained through curiosity, love of learning, and deep contemplation directed towards discovering truth. A wise individual avoids actionless speech and follows reason rather than personal desires. Courage is primarily achieved through persistent effort and perseverance despite obstacles. Individuals with courage speak the truth without fear, even in difficult circumstances. Humanity is cultivated through kindness, empathy, and assistance to disadvantaged individuals. Justice is promoted through awareness of social injustice and acceptance of wise leadership, often symbolized by metaphors such as a captain guiding a ship. Temperance is achieved through self-regulation, prudence, future-oriented thinking, and humility. Transcendence is cultivated through spirituality, trust in God, and reliance on divine guidance. These virtues are conveyed through simple language, stories, allegories, and vivid metaphors that make moral teachings understandable and accessible to a wide audience.   Conclusion This study examined the representation of positive psychology virtues in the poetry of Parvin Etesami using Peterson and Seligman’s Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues (2004). The findings indicate that the major virtues proposed in positive psychology are reflected in Parvin E'tesami’s poems. Among these virtues, Wisdom and Temperance receive the greatest emphasis, highlighting the poet’s commitment to education, self-discipline, rational thinking, and moral development. The frequent emphasis on learning, particularly women’s education, reflects her awareness of the social and cultural challenges of her time and her efforts to promote intellectual and ethical growth through literature. The findings also suggest that Parvin Etesami’s conception of virtue extends beyond Seligman's model. Themes such as appreciation of art, valuing opportunities, avoiding harmful companionships, and practicing patience reveal additional dimensions of human excellence not explicitly emphasized in positive psychology models. These findings support the view that classical Persian literature can contribute valuable insights to contemporary theories of character and virtue. Parvin Etesami not only describes virtues but also offers practical pathways for cultivating them through simple language, narratives, allegories, and vivid metaphors, making her poetry particularly suitable for moral and character education. Despite these contributions, the study was limited to analyzing a single poet’s works. Future research may compare positive psychology virtues across different Persian poets and literary traditions. The findings also suggest that Parvin Etesami’s poetry can serve as a valuable resource for culturally grounded educational programs promoting character strengths, moral development, and psychological well-being.   Ethical Consideration: Compliance with Ethical Guidelines: This research adheres to the fundamental ethical guidelines for literary and textual studies, including the avoidance of plagiarism, accurate representation of the original text, and respect for intellectual property rights. Authors' Contributions: Both authors contributed equally to all stages of this research, including study design, data collection and analysis, interpretation of findings, manuscript writing, and final approval of the version to be published. Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper. Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Acknowledgement: The authors thank three professors of Persian language and literature for their valuable guidance and for validating the themes.         *. Corresponding author https://ppls.ui.ac.ir/article_30472.html The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cognitive behavioral analysis psychotherapy on subjective pain and forgiveness in women with depression who had experienced romantic relationship breakup. In this study, a semi-experimental, pre-test-post-test design with a control group with a three-month follow-up was employed. The target population for this study consisted of women aged 18 to 35 years in Isfahan during 1400 in the Iranian calendar (2021–2022) who had experienced a romantic relationship breakup and were experiencing depression. A total of 30 participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group. The experimental group received cognitive behavioral analysis psychotherapy sessions, but the control group did not receive any intervention during this period. To collect data, a structured clinical interview for axis one disorders, the Love Trauma Syndrome Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Second Edition, the Forgiveness Scale, and the subjective pain questionnaire were used. The subjects answered the questionnaires in three stages: pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance. The results showed that cognitive behavioral psychotherapy had a significant effect on subjective pain and forgiveness at the post-test stage, and these changes were maintained at the three-month follow-up. This treatment method can be used to enhance the emotional health of women with depression and romantic relationship breakup. Introduction Love trauma syndrome is introduced as a stressful event that can aggravate the symptoms of emotional disorders. Rosse (2007) has introduced the syndrome of love trauma syndromes as a set of symptoms that appear after the collapse of a romantic relationship. The syndrome disrupts the individual's functioning, leads to maladaptive responses, and includes four features: arousal; avoidance and automatic reminders; and emotional indifference. One of the consequences of love trauma is sensitivity to mental pain. Studies show that high sensitivity to mental pain is related to maladaptive behaviors, including unwillingness to experience and accept events. Ranter et al. (2012) believed that forgiveness is a coping strategy against negative emotions which makes people mix their previous assumptions and find a new understanding of the consequences of mistakes. The results of this research can increase the quality of interventions and preparation of treatment protocols in this field plus preventing the problems of people involved with love trauma syndromes. Cognitive-Behavioral Analysis System of psychotherapy can be considered an effective intervention in the treatment of depression with love trauma syndrome considering that a depressive disorder requires clinical attention and considers love trauma syndrome as a triggering factor in depression.   Methods The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cognitive behavioral analysis psychotherapy on subjective pain and forgiveness in women with depression who had experienced romantic relationship breakup. In this study a semi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group and a three-month follow-up was employed. The statistical population of this study consisted of all women aged 18 to 35 years with romantic relationship breakup and depression in Isfahan in 1400. Thirty subjects were selected via available sampling and were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The experimental group received cognitive behavioral analysis psychotherapy sessions, but the control group did not receive any intervention during this period. To collect data, a structured clinical interview for axis one disorders, the Love Trauma Syndrome Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Second Edition, the Forgiveness Scale, and the Subjective Pain Questionnaire were used. The subjects answered the questionnaires in three stages: pretest, posttest, and three-month follow-up. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance.     Results The sample consisted of 30 women. The mean and standard deviation of the age of the control group and the experimental group were 26.44±5.34 and 27.38±4.63 accordingly. The mean scores of subjective pain variables, experiential avoidance, and forgiveness in two experimental (Cognitive-Behavioral Analysis System of psychotherapy) and control groups have a significant difference (p<0.001). The results of the follow-up test to compare the experimental and the control groups in the research stages in the research variables show that there is a significant difference between the control group and experimental group in the post-test stages as well as the follow-up in all three variables of mental pain and forgiveness.     Discussion The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Cognitive-Behavioral Analysis System of psychotherapy on mental pain and forgiveness in women suffering from comorbid depression with love trauma syndrome in Isfahan City. The available sampling method, the use of self-report tools, the lack of examination of cultural and social variables, and the implementation of research exclusively in women's society besides not paying attention to the type and quality of the lost emotional relationship were among the limitations of the research. It is suggested to use qualitative measurement tools focusing on physical and emotional symptoms in future research.   Ethical Consideration Compliance with Ethical Guidelines                  Prior to the start of the research, participants were made aware of the research objective. It was announced to the participants that they could withdraw from the study at any time if they wished. They were also assured that their identity information would remain confidential. This research did not have any conflicts with the religious and cultural norms of the society. This research has also been approved by the Ethics Committee of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz with the ethics code Scu.ac.ir EE/99.3.02.63784/  Authors’ Contributions The first and second authors were responsible for data collection, statistical analysis, and writing the initial draft under the supervision of the advisor (the first author)              Conflict of Interest In the disclosures of this article, there are no conflicts of interest among the authors    Funding The present research did not receive any financial support from any organization. Acknowledgment The authors would like to express gratitude to all the peoples who participated in this research.   https://ppls.ui.ac.ir/article_30563.html The aim of the present study was to investigate the positive relationship between positive childhood experiences and self-regulation in individuals with substance dependence undergoing methadone maintenance treatment and to determine the mediating role of self-compassion in this relationship. The research method was descriptive-correlational. A total of 312 patients with substance dependence undergoing methadone treatment who were referred to addiction treatment centers in Shahroud City were selected through purposive sampling. The instruments used in this study included the Self-Regulation Scale, the Positive Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, and the Self-Compassion Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the proposed model. The findings showed that positive childhood experiences have a direct and significant relationship with self-regulation, and self-compassion plays a mediating role in the relationship between positive childhood experiences and self-regulation. Overall, the results indicated that the model has a good fit. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of self-compassion interventions in improving addiction. Self-compassion is associated with self-regulation and acts as a protective factor in managing challenges related to substance use disorders. Incorporating self-compassion-focused interventions into rehabilitation programs can enhance self-regulation and promote recovery outcomes in various populations. Introduction* Substance use is a concerning global health challenge. Numerous therapeutic approaches have been developed to terminate psychological and physical dependence on drugs. Methadone maintenance treatment is one of the essential evidence-based treatments for opioid dependence (Bakhshani et al., 2022). Among psychological disorders, addiction is the most prominent example of a self-regulation deficit (Kräplin et al., 2024). Therefore, examining factors that can contribute to self-regulation is of great importance. Recent studies in positive psychology emphasize that the absence of negative emotions is not enough for well-being. Positive emotions must also be experienced at adequate levels for personal growth (Doğan & Eren Yavuz., 2020). Childhood-related factors are increasingly investigated to understand how pathways to substance dependence begin (Kim et al., 2024). Various studies have described risk and protective factors for self-regulation in substance use. However, limited information is available about the processes that mediate these associations. Understanding the mechanisms behind these associations is essential for identifying how positive childhood experiences influence self-regulation. In this context, self-compassion has emerged as a transformative psychological construct capable of addressing these gaps. It appears to be associated with self-regulation and can also be a consequence of positive childhood experiences. Despite strong theoretical relationships among positive childhood experiences, self-compassion, and self-regulation, few studies have examined these variables together in a unified causal framework, particularly among individuals with substance dependence. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the causal relationships between positive childhood experiences and self-regulation, with an emphasis on the mediating role of self-compassion among individuals with substance dependence undergoing methadone maintenance treatment.   Method The present study employed a correlational method using structural equation modeling. The statistical population of this study consisted of all patients with substance dependence undergoing methadone maintenance treatment who were referred to addiction treatment centers in Shahroud City, Iran, in 2024. A purposive sampling method was applied, resulting in a final sample of 312 participants. Data collection was conducted using three standardized self-report instruments: The Self-Control Scale, which assesses the individual's ability to control impulses, resist temptations, focus on tasks, establish healthy habits, and maintain moderation in behavior; the Positive Childhood Experiences Scale, which measures the individual's positive emotional memories and experiences during childhood; and the Self-Compassion Questionnaire, which evaluates the extent of self-kindness, self-judgment, mindfulness, over-identification, common humanity, and isolation in facing personal sufferings and failures. All instruments demonstrated acceptable reliability and construct validity in the present sample. Participants completed the questionnaires after providing informed consent. Data screening procedures confirmed univariate normality and the absence of multicollinearity. Structural equation modeling with maximum likelihood estimation was used to test direct and indirect relationships among the variables. The mediating role of self-compassion was examined using bootstrapping procedures with confidence intervals.   Results The mean age of participants was 35.81 ± 4.33 years. A total of 255 participants were male (81.7%), and 57 were female (18.3%). Regarding marital status, 101 participants (32.4%) were single, and 211 participants (67.6%) were married. In terms of educational background, 261 participants (83.6%) had a high school education, and 51 participants (16.4%) had higher education. Regarding employment status, 47 participants were unemployed (15.07%), 52 were employed part-time (16.67%), and 213 were employed full-time (68.26%). Patterns of drug use indicated that 117 participants used opium, 43 used heroin, 38 used crack, 71 used methamphetamine, and 43 others used synthetic drugs. Skewness and kurtosis values fall within acceptable ranges, confirming the normal distribution of the data. The results of the correlation matrix of research variables showed that all correlation coefficients between the variables are significant at the 0.01 level. The proposed structural model demonstrates a good fit to the data based on multiple goodness-of-fit indices (χ²/df = 2.96, GFI = 0.95, CFI = 0.96, IFI = 0.96, AGFI = 0.94, NFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.079). The results show that positive childhood experiences positively and significantly predict self-compassion (β = 0.18, p < 0.001), indicating that individuals who have experienced more positive emotional experiences during childhood show higher levels of self-compassion in adulthood. Positive childhood experiences also positively and significantly predict self-regulation (β = 0.37, p < 0.001), indicating that positive childhood memories reduce tendencies toward impulsive behaviors and weakness in self-control. Furthermore, self-compassion positively predicts self-regulation (β = 0.43, p < 0.001), indicating that individuals with higher levels of self-compassion show greater persistence and self-control when facing challenges. Bootstrapping analyses confirm that self-compassion plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between positive childhood experiences and self-regulation. The indirect effect of positive childhood experiences on self-regulation through self-compassion is statistically significant (β = 0.16, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that positive childhood experiences influence self-regulation both directly and indirectly by increasing self-compassion.   Conclusion The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between positive childhood experiences and self-regulation based on the mediating role of self-compassion in individuals with substance dependence undergoing methadone maintenance treatment. The findings showed that positive childhood experiences directly increase self-regulation in individuals with substance dependence; in such a way that positive emotional memories of childhood, by providing psychological infrastructures, strengthen self-regulatory capacities and reduce the internalization of unhealthy emotions, which can serve as a protective factor against substance abuse. Furthermore, the findings revealed that in addition to the direct effect, positive childhood experiences also have an indirect effect on self-regulation through self-compassion. In other words, positive childhood experiences such as joy, love, attention, and appreciation, through the internalization of parents' accepting and supportive attitude, lay the groundwork for the development of self-compassion in adulthood. Self-compassion, by increasing the capacity to focus on long-term goals, resisting immediate temptations, and enhancing cognitive flexibility, helps individuals to regulate their actions in accordance with their beliefs and goals and have greater self-control. In fact, individuals who have had more positive childhood experiences, by drawing on their internal assets, make more thoughtful decisions when facing challenges and reduce impulsive actions, which in turn strengthens self-regulation. The results emphasize the importance of designing psychological and educational interventions in methadone maintenance treatment centers that focus on strengthening positive childhood experiences through reconstructing pleasant memories and increasing self-compassion through teaching skills such as self-kindness, mindfulness, and reducing self-judgment, because such interventions can effectively strengthen self-regulation in individuals with substance dependence and contribute to treatment persistence and relapse prevention.   Ethical Consideration We strictly observed all ethical considerations during the research process. It included ensuring the confidentiality of participants' identities and obtaining informed consent from all participants. Authors’ Contributions All authors contributed to the preparation of the final manuscript. Conflict of Interest The authors report no conflict of interest. Funding The authors received no financial support for the study. Acknowledgments This research is funded by Semnan University, research grant No 226 /1404/ ط 14041111.  The authors express their gratitude to all individuals who contributed to this research.   *. Corresponding author