فردین علی پور

Individuals with chronic mental disorders face various challenges, which are not merely confined to the individual but also involve family caregivers and specialists in the field. Psychological and social rehabilitation assists in improving the functioning of individuals with mental disorders and facilitates their return to mainstream life. This study aims to investigate the challenges encountered in the rehabilitation process of these individuals.

This study employed a qualitative directional content analysis method. The sample consisted of 13 individuals with chronic mental illnesses, 3 family members, and 6 specialists with experience in patient care. Following ethical approval and obtaining informed consent, in-depth, unstructured interviews were conducted, aligning with the research objectives. Purposeful sampling and maximum diversity strategies were utilized to select and invite participants subjected to in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Data analysis followed Granheim and Lundman’s approach.

The analysis of the interviews revealed that the essence of this study is “striving to respond to weakened identity.” The categories and subcategories extracted in this study include social limitations (social exclusion, societal negligence), instability (turbulent lifestyle, family as an overlooked entity, and economic pressures), therapeutic challenges (treatment inconsistency, therapist-related challenges, the complex nature of the illness, and postdischarge concerns), structural and macro challenges (social media neglect, incomplete perspectives, financial and credibility challenges) and loss of agency and volition (identity weakening, lack of balance between independence and support).

The rehabilitation of individuals with chronic mental disorders faces various challenges at individual, interpersonal, familial, organizational and structural levels. Strengthening the psychological and social aspects of rehabilitation can provide a better and more sustainable basis for treatment for these patients. Enhancing the roles and interventions of psychological and social rehabilitation teams, coordinating therapeutic interventions, supporting the families of patients, socializing behaviors toward these patients and their families, and paying more attention to the psychological and social rehabilitation of patients can result in better short-term and long-term outcomes for various stakeholders involved in the rehabilitation process.

The escalating challenges of drug and alcohol abuse underscore the critical need to prioritize Addiction-Affected Family members (AAFs), who face diverse health consequences and complex challenges. This study focuses on Addiction-Affected Mothers (AAMs) and their coping strategies during their child’s substance abuse, aiming to explore their experiences during both the addiction and recovery periods. 

Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), nine AAMs, whose children had completed recovery, participated in semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling ensured firsthand insights, with data analysis following IPA principles, including coding, categorization, and interpretation. Trustworthiness was maintained through member checking, peer debriefing, and ethical considerations.

The data analysis and the codes extracted from the interviews revealed four main themes and 14 subthemes. The four main themes extracted from the data included 1. Social Isolation, 2. The Swamp Trails, 3. The Continuum of Injuries, and 4. The Pursuit of Freedom. The first three main themes contained 11 sub-themes reflecting the mothers’ experiences caused by their child’s addiction, and the fourth theme, containing 3 sub-themes, comprised of countermeasures and effective mechanisms employed to overcome addiction-caused problems. 

The study provides evidence-based insights for enhanced services and policies targeting Addiction-Affected Mothers, who often initiate responses within families. Specialized interventions are crucial to address their unique needs and those of their families, minimizing the direct and indirect effects of addiction. Encouraging AAMs’ participation in support sessions is vital for ongoing coping. Effective resources and strategies can facilitate long-term recovery for both individuals with substance abuse and their families, contributing to a deeper understanding of familial dynamics affected by addiction.

This study aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the “resilience assessment questionnaire” in patients with multiple sclerosis.

The statistical population of the present study included all multiple sclerosis patients living in Tehran City in 2022. Of them, 250 people were selected through available sampling. The participants completed the questionnaires of Gromis et al. resilience and the hospital anxiety and depression scales. The validity of the questionnaire was investigated using the formal, content, construct, and predictor methods. Also, the reliability of the test was checked through the Cronbach α method and retesting. Data analysis was done using SPSS software, version 26.

The face validity was confirmed by checking the content and solving the appearance problems. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed after correcting the questions. The results of exploratory factor analysis showed that the resilience questionnaire includes 5 components: Emotional and cognitive strategies, physical activity and diet, family and friends support, peer support, and spirituality. Also, the Cronbach α values of these components were 0.88, 0.79, 0.62, 0.76, 0.50, and 0.89, respectively. The eigenvalues of these components explained 47.49% of the variance. There was a significant relationship between the resilience and anxiety/depression questionnaire components. The correlation value between the first and second stages confirmed the retest validity of the resilience questionnaire.

The Persian version of the “multiple sclerosis resilience” scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing resilience features in Iranian MS patients, which can be used in policymaking and research studies.

Families with mentally-retarded children need more support than other families in overcoming crises and achieving social adjustment. So, it seems necessary to pay special attention to these families durinzg the COVID-19 pandemic and identify their experiences and challenges to provide more support for this vulnerable group. Therefore, the present study was carried out in care centers under the supervision of the Tehran state welfare organization of Iran (SWO) during the COVID-19 pandemic to identify the challenges of families with mentally retarded children.

The present study was conducted with a qualitative approach and contractual content analysis method of Granheim and Lundman (2004). The participants were 18 families with mentally-retarded children living in care centers under the supervision of the Tehran State welfare organization of Iran (SWO), who were selected by purposive sampling. Sampling was continued until data saturation. Data were collected and analyzed using in-person or online (telephone) in-depth semi-structured interviews from July 11 to September 22, 2021. To evaluate the data strength, four criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability of Guba and Lincoln were used.

Based on data analysis, 6 main categories and 23 subcategories were obtained. The main categories and subcategories included 1) constant worry about their children getting COVID-19 (inability of the child to protect against coronavirus, not observing protocols by the staff, underlying diseases and deficiency in immune system, few preventive measure for under 18 years people, conflicting information about children and adolescents' infection), 2) disconnection and intensification of stress (agitation and irritability of the disabled, worry about the future, parent's mental confusion, fear of losing child), 3) conflict with family tensions and contradiction (intensification of family guilt, overlooking other children, couple's self-blaming, tension in family interactions, intensification of family melancholia), 4) non-supportive community (further social stigma, social exclusion, lack of supporting vulnerable groups, the limitations of social distancing), 5) family economic crisis (costs of keeping child in the center, losing job and lower income of the family head, poverty and intensification of unstable economic conditions), and 6) care and educational concerns (decreasing the quality of care for the disabled, suspension of rehabilitation and educational activities, restrictions on leisure activities and communication for the disabled).

The results showed that the families of mentally-retarded children had encountered many challenges and concerns during the COVID-19 epidemic, some of which were related to the intensification of psychological pressures and some due to insufficient support from governmental and non-governmental institutions for these families. The study findings can be used to provide services and design support programs and policies for children with mental disabilities and their families. In this regard, it is recommended to pay special living allowances, strengthen the communication system between parents and children living in care centers, prepare a care and health packages for parents, design and implement psychological interventions to reduce parents' anxiety and stress, and provide free counseling.

 This study aimed to investigate the moderating role of resilience in the association between perceived stress and the burden of care among elderly caregivers at nursing homes in Tehran in 2016.

 In this cross-sectional, correlational study, the data were collected from 142 caregivers engaged in nursing homes in Tehran, of which 50 were men and 92 were women, through the census sampling method. Research tools included the questionnaire of perceived stress-14 (PSS-14), Cohen et al., (1983), Zarit et al. (1986) Burden of care questionnaire, and connor and davidson resilience questionnaire (2003). The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software v. 20. The significance level was set at P<0.05.

 The results showed that the average perceived stress score (35.11) was higher than the average (28). The burden of care was significantly positively associated with perceived stress (r>0 or P=0.001), and there was a negative and significant relationship between resilience and responsibility of care (β=0.110). Also, the interaction effect of perceived stress and resilience on the burden of care was negative and significant, and resilience moderated the relationship between perceived stress and care burden (P<0.001).

 According to a positive relationship between perceived stress and burden of care among elderly caregivers and the moderating effect of resilience on this relationship, governmental and non-governmental organizations in the elderly field and health policymakers should bring in the concept of resilience in their executive actions, policies, and protocols and improve it through proper training interventions. Further research is needed to study other internal and external moderating factors to improve the service quality and address the psychological, social, and physical complications of elderly caregivers.

 The re-entry of offenders to the community after their imprisonment is a sensitive and important stage and should always be considered by governmental and non-governmental organizations. The proper transition from prison to the community occurs when rehabilitation and social reintegration programs are developed and implemented based on the real needs of individuals. Social work is one of the professions that can help the judicial system with this issue. Many graduates of this profession provide social work services to prisoners and their families. Therefore, it is necessary to identify effective operational solutions in accordance with the conditions of the country and formulate a specific framework. This study aims to prepare a guideline for specialized social work intervention for community re-entry of offenders with a history of violence against individuals.

In this study, a qualitative approach was used to prepare the specialized guideline. First, the initial barriers and facilitators of successful community re-entry for offenders with a history of violence against individuals were prepared using thematic analysis. Then, based on the protocols of the social work process, the initial draft was developed. Next, at a focus group discussion session with faculty members and experts, the draft was reviewed and improved. To assess its applicability, we used the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) tool. 

 Intertwined concerns, protective shields, welfare/economic security, social support, and achieving relative independence were identified as the five dimensions of successful community re-entry. The specialized social work interventions were presented after approval in four main stages: preparation for the case plan, development of the case plan, interventions and actions, and monitoring and review of interventions. The results of evaluation by AGREE tool showed an overall acceptable average of 58.7% (82.9% for scope and purpose, 88.1% for stakeholder involvement, 85.6% for rigor of development, 83% for clarity of presentation, 84.9% for applicability, and 89.8% for editorial independence). The users of this guideline are social workers and other professions related to prisons and training and security organizations, especially after-release care centers.

 Investing in rehabilitation programs for prisoners is one of the best and most cost-effective ways to prevent the reoccurrence of violence, which not only has beneficial effects on those concerned but also promotes public safety. This issue becomes important when social reintegration and rehabilitation programs are developed based on scientific approaches and perspectives. Future studies on the effectiveness of the developed guideline, considering the local conditions, can help identify the effective factors of re-entry to the community in newly released prisoners. The skills and capabilities of social workers in presenting specialized interventions and establishing professional and inter-organizational communication, supporting rules and programs, motivation, and enthusiasm of the offender to change can all contribute to the success of this guideline in achieving the defined goals.

Temporary marriage, despite its religious and legal legitimacy, is a challenging social issue. However, a number of women accept temporary marriage due to the specific circumstances which they are facing and the problems they have. Although the women with temporary marriage and their children face many problems, there is not sufficient information about the different aspects of their lives. Therefore, as a social worker it is necessary to explore the life experiences of these women. The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of women with a temporary marriage in the city of Qom.

This study was conducted using qualitative method and based on the Conventional Content Analysis approach. The research data were collected through semi-structured interviews with fifteen women with temporary marriage experience and four social workers associated with this group of women. The research sampling method was purposeful sampling and data collection continued until saturation. The aspects related to the accuracy of the data were considered and data analysis was performed using coding and classification of the codes.

Out of interviews, 728 the codes were extracted at several stages of the analysis and integration of similar codes in four main categories include 1) "Individual components", 2) "Family Factors", 3) "The harmful social environment", and 4) "Multiple social deviances", and 14 subcategories, respectively the main theme of this research, "unsecured privacy" was extracted  from the mentioned classes.

Women with temporary marriage experience are one of the hidden and hard-reaching target groups related to the field of social work who face various problems in individual, family, and social life. It is necessary to pay attention to reducing the various problems of this group of women and increasing their quality of life at different levels, especially by social workers.

The aim of this research is validation of questionnaire of covid-19 social effects (SISQ) on Iranian students. 

The current study is a descriptive-analytic validation-type study and its statistical population was consisted of students of University of Tehran who 300 of them took part in this research voluntarily. After study of content validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used to study construct validity and Cronbach Alfa and cluster correlation coefficients were utilized to study the reliability; for further study on main variables of research, Pearson correlation and T tests were used; analyses were conducted by SPSS25 and AMOS26 softwares. 

In study of validity of seventh item questionnaire, based on professors’ opinion, it was out of content validity (cvr= 0.16); in exploratory factor analysis, four social distance, social acceptance, social information and social anxiety factors were extracted which expressed 57.99 percent variance of questionnaire; results of confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the 4-factor model after adding and omitting processes (RMSEA= 0.05, CFI= 0.93, IFI= 0.93, p= 0.09, x2= 85.26), Cronbach Alfa and interclass correlation coefficients were equal to 0.8 for the final questionnaire; correlation of all items with the total mark was positive and meaningful and the values varied from 0.49 to 0.65. Average (standard deviation) of studied people’s age was 24.07 (6.27) year.

14-item questionnaire of covid-19 social effects on students has acceptable validity and reliability.Further studies in other populations are suggested.

Retirement is a potentially challenging event in old age that has different‏ effects on older people’s lives. This study aims to identify the psychosocial consequences, barriers, and facilitators of adaption to retirement in Iran.

In this study, we used conventional content analysis. The samples consisted of 22 people with experience or expertise in the field of retirement, who were selected by maximum diversity and purposeful sampling strategy Data were collected through semi-structured interviews from February 2019 to September 2019. Graneheim and Lundman's approach was used for data analysis.

Of 22 participants, 59% were male and 41% were female. Four main categories and 13 sub-categories were extracted covering different psychosocial aspects of adaption to retirement Including: Psychosocial challenges (emotional deprivation, reduced psychological resilience, role loss, social isolation, and family challenges), post-retirement development (developing interests and activities, and feeling of being free), barriers to retirement adaptation (health problems, lack of a retirement plan, and macro-structural deficiencies), and contextual/supportive facilitators (individual characteristics, job characteristics, and social support systems).

After retirement, people face psychosocial challenges or opportunities for development. In the meantime, some barriers and facilitators can affect adaption to retirement. Therefore, preparation for retirement is an important issue in the field of gerontology services. Elderly care providers and health professionals can benefit from the finding of this study in their interventions to promote the psychosocial well-being of retirees and their families.‎

Suicide and suicidal behavior (suicidal ideation, suicidal plan, and suicidal act) as one of the major problems in the social and psychological health system is an important and significant issue around the world. In addition to personal and family damage, this phenomenon is also a social loss. Suicide is also a psychological and social problem which is one of the social traumas that requires immediate attention from relevant centers. Preventing suicide requires a comprehensive approach that includes physical, mental, social, and spiritual interventions, and the implementation of a wide range of psychosocial and social actions from social support and life skills training to counseling, follow-up, and treatment for mental disorders. It is possible to consider the action to reduce suicidal ideation using different approaches as part of preventive approaches to deal with this harm. Social workers as one of the specialized groups are closely associated with this problem. Their approach to have the more impact on reducing suicidal ideation is the problem-solving, which focuses on the individual and his decision-making problem, which is opposed to stigmatizing and instead emphasizes on abilities, promotion, and empowerment.  The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of group Social Work intervention with a problem-solving approach to reducing suicidal ideation in females referring to psychology and Social Work clinics.

In this study, quasi-experimental design with a randomized control group was used. The statistical population included all cases referring to Social Work clinics and counseling centers and clinics in Qorveh in 2017. Considering the importance of access to research samples and with the collaboration of psychiatric centers, 30 individuals willing to participate in the study and with suicidal ideation identified through a psychiatric interview, was divided into two experiment and control groups after giving written consent and using Block randomization method. A number of samples were dropped due to non-compliance with the intervention, of which 12 were in the experiment group and 11 were in the control group until the end of the intervention. The research tool was Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSSI) Questionnaire. In the experiment group, Social Work intervention with problem-solving approach and in the control group, training package of coping strategies was performed. All analyses were performed using SPSS software and covariance analysis was used to analyze the data.

The findings of the study showed that group Social Work intervention with a problem-solving approach statistically had a significant difference with the control group and could reduce the total score of suicidal ideation significantly, compared to the control group (P<0.05). The findings of different analyzes in two groups showed that Social Work with problem-solving approach was more effective than the training package of coping strategies in reducing the suicidal ideation of women referring to clinics. The results of various analyzes in the two groups showed that the group work intervention had a significant effect on the four subscales: a desire for death, preparing for suicide, suicidal tendency, and the inhibitory factors or self-control (P<0.001). Also, the power of a test (Cohen effect size), there are four major dimensions of suicidal ideation in the Social Work intervention compared to the training package of coping strategies. 

A comprehensive look at the social factors affecting suicide, especially group Social Work interventions that take a multilateral approach to a social problem, can reduce suicidal ideation and provide the basis for improving the quality of life of different groups of society. Regarding the nature of group Social Work with a problem-solving approach, it is very effective and promising and can also open a door to expanding Social Worker interventions in intervening in a suicidal crisis.