محمد نوریان نجف آبادی

The study aimed to compare social support in substance-dependent individuals with successful and unsuccessful quit attempts.

The research utilized a causal-comparative method. The statistical population included individuals with both successful and unsuccessful quitting experiences who sought assistance from non-governmental organizations involved in combating narcotics in Isfahan city. The research sample comprised 444 individuals, with 222 having unsuccessful quitting experiences and 222 having successful quitting experiences, purposefully selected. The social support scale was the primary tool used in this research. Data analysis involved the use of independent t-tests, multivariate analysis of variance, and logistic regression.

The findings indicated a significant difference in the total social support score and its components (friends, family, and important people) between individuals with successful and unsuccessful quitting experiences. According to the logistic regression analysis, social support nearly doubles the likelihood of successful quitting.

The study's results suggest that social support and its components of family and friends, play a crucial role in successfully overcoming substance use, and by paying more serious attention to them, we can help alleviate one of the basic social harms of the society.

Drug abuse is a pathological pattern which is characterized by lack of control, loss of social function, high-risk use, and continued use. This research has attempted to examine the relationship between social commitment and successful withdrawal of the drug abuse in Isfahan, Iran.

This research is a causal-comparative survey, in which two groups were compared; 1) drug addicts with successful withdrawal, and 2) drug addicts with unsuccessful withdrawal. A total of 444 people including 222 with the successful withdrawal, and 222 with unsuccessful withdrawal were selected using a systematic random sampling method. The research instrument for measuring social commitment was a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity was determined using factor analysis and its reliability was measured by means of the internal consistency through Cronbach's Alpha coefficient. 

The results showed that the mean social commitment and its three dimensions are significantly higher in the group with successful withdrawal than the unsuccessful group. Based on the logistic regression analysis, social commitment variable with the values (B=0.212, Wald=122.1, Sig=0.000, EXP (B=1.8), Cox & Snell=0.461), increases the probability of membership in group with successful withdrawal by 1.9 times and explains 0.615 changes in the dependent variable. It means that the more social commitment and its components, the more rate of successful withdrawal from substance use disorder. 

The research concludes that social factors (social commitment and its components; individual and collective commitment) are effective in the treatment of substance use disorder and by paying more attention to them, one of the basic problems of the society can be alleviated.

Key Message: 

Although, in Withdrawal of the Drug Abuse, the biomedical approach is mainly emphasized, but social factors, including social commitment, can also play a very important role in successfully Withdrawal of the Drug Abuse.

Treating diseases depends on the type of relationship between physician-patient and dissatisfaction with this relation by the patients brings about using traditional medicine. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between dissatisfaction with the physician-patient relationship and the use of traditional medicine.

This research has been done using a survey method. The population is people aged 18-65 living in Ahvaz City, in 2019-2020, that 345 were determined as the sample size using Cochran's formula and were selected by means of a multi-stage random sampling method. The research tools are two researcher-made questionnaires including the “physician-patient relationship” and the “use of traditional medicine”. In the process of collecting data, the respondents were informed of the research objectives and they participated in the research if they were written consent. To examine the relationship between the two variables of physician-patient relationship and inclination to traditional medicine the correlation matrix and linear regression have been employed using the SPSS software version 25.

In general, 174 women and 171 men participated in this research. 139 were single and 206 married. In terms of ethnicity, 111 were Lor, 117 Arab, and the rest were Fars, Turk, and Kurd. The results of the regression analysis showed that the dissatisfaction with the physician-patient relationship significantly increases the use of traditional medicine (Beta=2.27, T=2.27, Sig=0.000).

Based on the results, the more people dissatisfy with the physician-patient relationship, the more they are inclined to use traditional medicine.

Introduction :

 According to the report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2020), over 356 million people around the world suffer from drug use disorders. It is estimated that 4.4 million people in Iran use drugs continuously or intermittently. Although most of the theoretical and experimental literature in the field of using drugs has focused on the causes of drug use disorder and its effects, the other side of the coin -- successful quitting of substance use—seems to have received less attention. People affected by substance use disorder are not necessarily social deviants, but they are patients who, like other patients, need treatment to return to the normal life process. Quitting substance use needs taking actions that help a person return to the healthy social life. According to the global statistics, more than 93% of people, who stop using drugs, return to them, as well as psychedelics, after a year. This statistic is estimated between 80 and 97% in Iran. It has been clearly approved that even the strongest and most effective medicines like opioid antagonists that prevent the return of drug use disorder have shortcomings and limitations and are not sufficient to treat addiction alone. Therefore, emphasis on social factors, along with biological and medical factors, can be taken into consideration for successfully encouraging quit attempts  and treating psychotropic and psychoactive disorders. Social capital is one of the variables, which seems to be effective in this process. It is a type of investment in people’s social relationships to generate their expected benefits by engaging them in social networks and interactions. Social capital consists of various aspects of social organization, such as trust, norms, and networks, which can improve efficiency of the society by facilitating coordinated actions. Like other capitals, it is productive and provides the possibility of achieving specific goals that would be unattainable without it. Therefore, the current research sought to investigate the relationship between social capital and successful quitting of drug use.

This research was conducted by using a causal-comparative method, through which the two successful  and unsuccessful groups in quitting drug use were compared. Given the research type, these groups were homogenized in terms of some demographic variables like age, sex, education, and so on. In total, 444 people (222 individuals in group 1 and 222 ones in group 2) were selected by using the multi-stage random sampling method. The research tool for measuring social capital was a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of 3 dimensions: social trust, social participation, and social awareness. To determine the validity and reliability of the research instrument, construct validity and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were employed, respectively.

According to the research findings, the averages of social capital and its components were significantly higher in the successful  compared to the unsuccessful groups in quitting drug use. Furthermore, the results of logistic regression analysis revealed that social capital was significantly able to explain membership in the successfully quitting group. Based on the results, social capital approximately doubled the probability of membership in the mentioned group. This research finding was theoretically consistent with its theoretical framework. On the other hand, the findings were empirically in accordance with many pieces of research carried out by previous researchers. In general, this study concluded that social factors besides biological factors were effective in the treatment of drug use disorder as one of the basic problems of the society, which could be alleviated by paying more serious attention to them.

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a disease in the treatment of which the biological and medical methods are emphasized, but social factors also play an effective role. This research has tried to investigate the relationship between problem-solving skill and successful quitting of SUD.

This was a causal-comparative research in which two groups, namely, drug addicts with successful quitting (n = 222) and those with unsuccessful quitting (n = 222) selected by multi-stage random sampling were compared. The research tool for measuring the problem solving skill was the Social Problem Solving Scale of D'Zurilla et al. (2002).

The findings showed that the mean problem-solving skill score and its five components were significantly higher in the successful quitting group than in the unsuccessful group. Based on the logistic regression results, the problem-solving skill (B=0.271, Wald=110.490 Sig=0.000, EXP (B) =1.76, Cox & Snell=0.457) will increase the chance of successful quitting 1.76 times and can explain 0.457 of the changes in the dependent variable.

It can be concluded that psychosocial factors are also effective in the treatment of the substance use disorder. This means that paying more serious attention to these factors will help to alleviate one of the basic social and public health problems of the society.

The most important characteristic of any culture is its acquisition and the notion of the interactions of society members in its production and reproduction. Sometimes these interactions can be formed to fight corruption, and sometimes to accept corrupt behaviors and ignoring them; a matter that shall cause the stigma of corruption will be disappeared and institutionalized in the society that is known as the culture of corruption. The purpose of this research was to determine the level of the culture of corruption among the people of Najaf Abad city, Isfahan, and also to explain the reason for its formation. This research was carried out quantitatively via survey method using a researcher-made questionnaire approach. A multi-stage random sampling scheme was used in this study with a sample size of 370 people. Finally, the data were analyzed with SPSS and Smart PLS software. The statistical analysis showed that the three components of the disappearance of the stigma of corruption, the unwillingness to disclose corruption and the acceptance of corruption as the norm, constitute the different aspects of the culture of corruption. Hypotheses tests also showed that the independent variables of collectivism, citizenship culture, disclosure culture, and gender equality had a negative effect on people’s desire for corruption culture, and they explained a total of 45.2% of the variance of corruption culture. The increasing trend of corruption in Iran and its negative consequences create the concern that ugliness of corrupt practices will disappear and therefore, corruption will become a cultural feature as they become normalized and accepted. According to the findings of this study, by raising the spirit of collectivism and reducing self-centered tendencies among people, it is possible to familiarize them with the duties and responsibilities of citizenship, fight against gender inequalities, support whistleblowers of corruption, and also encourage them to prevent the formation of a culture of corruption.

The human mental health is a multidimensional and complex issue affected by a wide range of biological, psychological, sociological, economic and cultural factors. Considering the social nature of human life, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between some social variables, e.g., social support, social bond, social trust and social status, and teachers’ mental health.

This study was a cross-sectional quantitative survey using a questionnaire to collect. The sample included 373 primary school teachers (first and second grades) in Najafabad, Isfahan, Iran selected in 2020 by multi-stage random sampling.  Data were analyzed using the structural equation modelling technic, with the SPSS-25 and Amos-23 software.

The confirmatory factor analysis of the items showed that they could explain 63.25% of the variance of the teacherschr('39') mental health variable, the social support, social status and social trust variables affecting it (0.65, 0.45 and 0.18, respectively), with a confidence interval of 99% and p<0.001. On the whole, the independent variables could explain 76% of the variance of the teachers’ mental health. In addition, moderation analysis showed that in general gender moderates the effects of social variables on the teachers’ mental health, the female gender having stronger effects in these relationships.

The results of this study show that primary school teacherschr('39') mental health, which is an individual/private phenomenon, is greatly affected by their quality of social life, some factors such as social support, social status and social trust potentially influencing it. Moreover, this effect is much more pronounced among women than men.

One of the dimensions of health is mental health that could be affected by the quality of occupational life. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of job satisfaction on teacherschr('39') mental health with due consideration of the moderating role of gender and the subjects taught.

This was a quantitative survey using a questionnaire including a sample of 373 teachers, selected by multistage random sampling, from among all (n = 1500) the secondary school first- and second-grade teachers in Najafabad city, Isfahan Province, Iran. Data analysis was done using the software AMOS and SPSS.

The confirmatory factor analysis of the items showed that these items could explain 63.25% of the variance of the mental health construct. In addition, the standard effect of job satisfaction on mental health was found to be 0.37 (p <0.001), explaining 13% of the mental health construct variance. Further analysis of the data showed that the teachers’ mean mental health construct (66.64) and their mean of job satisfaction (73.90) were lower and higher than the means of the respective spectra (p <0.001), respectively.

Job satisfaction, which has been proven to affect the teachers’ mental health, can improve their personal and social life and make them more efficient in education. In this regard, gender and the type of subject taught can have moderating effects on the relationship between job satisfaction and mental health of the teachers. Based on the beta-values (0.55 for the women group and 0.68 for the experimental science teachers group), the gender female and teaching experimental science can have a stronger effect on the teachers’ mental health than gender male and teaching subjects other than experimental science.

In nearly all big cities around the world, the phenomenon of street children is one of the contemporary social issues. During past several decades, there is an increase in the volume of street children phenomenon around the world. The rising number of street children has many pathological and consequential negative impacts for children, youth, families, and the society at the whole. According to 2000 UN report, the number of street children is estimated between 100 to140 million people. According to this report, it is estimated that around 40 million people living in Latin America, 35 million in Asia, 10 million in Africa and remaining live in other countries including advanced industrial societies. There are not reliable data about the number of street children in Iran. According to the available reports there are around 20 thousand street children in Iran. Some preliminary studies show a trend towards the growth of street children phenomenon in several big cities of Iran. The pathological impact of street children phenomenon need appropriate policy-making based on scientific approach. Thus various scientific researchers should work for deeper understanding of factors associated with the formation and characteristics of street children to better social policy. The present paper aims to examine the overall situation of street children concerning their life style, activities, experiences, family background, educational achievement and other behavioral characteristics. For this purpose, data collected through a survey administered in the face-to-face interview among 122 street children aged 6-14 which working in the street of Isfahan city in the spring of 2010. The measurement validity of the study obtained through face validity and the questionnaire has been revised based on the experts’ comments and suggestions. Also a pretest study conducted to examine questionnaire and based on the results of the pretest, questionnaire has been finalized. Data analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Discussion of Results and Other characteristics of sample indicated that around 12 percents of street children was illiterate and about 58 percent of them leave their school before the completion of guidance school. Monthly income for 8.2 percent of respondents was below 150 thousand Tomans, 76.2 percent between 150 to 300 thousand Tomans and 14.7 was between 301 t0 500 thousand Tomans. The highest income had for those children who were selling drugs. Around two third of respondents give their income to their adult family member. Also around two third of children worked as peddler and around one-fifth had a deviant job. Findings also indicate that five-seventh of respondents were physically abused by their parents. 22% of respondents arrested by police and 5 percent went to prison and 7 percent have one to two years in a juvenile institution. Examining parental characteristics of street children show that over 90 percent of mothers and fathers of the respondents have had below elementary schooling. About 70 percent of fathers’ respondent and 24 percent of mothers’ respondent has been employed. About 72 percent of children have at least one or both parents who addicted. 15 percent have had parents who divorced and 25 percent has experienced orphanhood. In sum our research findings confirm that majority of street children under the study are boy, migrant, with low family income, having addicted parents, and usually have been physically abused by their parents and they are working as peddler. The findings also indicate that street children had deviant behavior in some case, was arrested by police, some of them even have gone to prison. Finally, research has shown that there are a significant relationship between parental drug addiction and the abuse of children by parents with the type of works that children are doing. Data shows that the kind of jobs that children do has a significant relationship with such variables as parental addiction, children abuse by parents, and parental imprisonment. Results also indicate that deviant job observed in the most cases among those children who have an addicted parent, employed in deviant job and abused by their parents. In sum, it can be concluded that various factor played an important role in the formation and the emergence of street children phenomenon. Among others, these factors include family poverty, family disruption (as a result of such factors as parental drug addiction, divorce or death of parents and parental imprisonment), migration and suburbanization, and children abuse by their parents.

Intordaction: Religion and its concepts have been a main as well as unique source in producing social capital. The development of social capital، as the raw material for a civil society، depends on certain variables including religion and religious culture. In spite of numerous researches on social capital and its factors، there are few systematic studies undertaken to examine interrelationships between degree of religiousness and social capital at the individual level. Therefore، number of questions about the role of religion in social capital formation has remained unanswered. The purpose of present study is to examine interrelationships between the degree of religiousness and social capital. Data for the study comes from a structured questionnaire administered by a face-to-face survey interview. The study has been a cross-sectional survey of a random sample of adults aged 15 year- old and over in the city of Najafabad، Isfahan. The sample was selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling technique among 244 respondents. The findings show that there is no significant difference between men and women، single and married، employed and unemployed regarding the degree of social capital. Also، there is a significant and direct relationship between religiousness and social capital. Couclusion: The results of the study have been on the same wavelength as some theorists such as Durkheim، Putnam، Fukuyama and Coleman، suggested a direct association between the degree of religiousness and social capital.

Trust is one of the effective cases on the person’s health and providing this health for all kinds of people is one of the basic issues in any society. On the other hand, teachers’ personality as well as their mental and psychological balance are more important than those of the other kinds of people in the society. The present study is an applied and cross-sectional research done by using a survey among different Tiranian teachers in different schools (elementary, guidance and secondary) in 2011.There were 240 people participating in this research. Because of the scattering of research people in various areas, we used multi-stage cluster samples to determine the volume. Also the data were collected by using questionnaires and analyzed by using Lisrel and SPSS softwares. The findings indicated that there was no significant difference between women and men, married and single people and teachers’ mental health rate. On the other hand, there was a direct significant relationship between mental health and various dimensions of social trust. In other words, the more social trust, the more mental and psychological health. These findings are in agreement whit the ideas such thinkers as Putnam, Wilkinson, and Kavachy.

Social trust is one of the most essential factors in making social order and capital. There are certain variables that can lead to the rise or fall of social trust, one of which, to many researchers, is religiousness. The present study was carried out to investigate the relationship between religiousness and social trust in the city of Najafabad.According this, a survey research with the sample of 244 citizen (15 years old and over) of Najafabad were selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling method. The questionnaire was the main data collection technique. The findings show that there is a significant and direct relationship between religiousness and social trust. In other words, the rising of religiousness leads to the increasing of organizational, interpersonal and generalized trusts. The empirical data truly verify the viewpoints mentioned earlier by Durkheim and Giddnez.