Iranian Society Research Articles

Sassanids and Their Attitude to Medical Knowledge

The Sassanid Empire ruled in Iran between 224 AD and 651 AD. The founder of this dynasty, Ardashir I (241-224 AD), a Zoroastrian cleric, took two very important steps in the beginning; One was the creation of a central government and the other was the formalization of the religion of Zoroaster. The homogeneity and alignment of government and religion in the Sassanid administration had very important effects on the growth and development of science and knowledge, especially medical science, which began in the Achaemenid Empire (330 559 AD). The under-consideration question in this research is that despite the class system and the monopoly of learning science and knowledge in the privileged classes of society, what was the status of medical science in the Sassanid period? This study showed that medical science had the highest position in the teachings of Zoroastrian religion; Because with that, they took care of their health and performed their religious duties well, and with it, they overcame the devil. In Zoroastrian religious texts, the duties and characteristics of the physician, the types of diseases and how to treat and the rules related to ‘Tebabat’(medicine) are discussed. In addition to this, the encouragement policy of kings and Sassanid government, including; Expanding cultural and scientific relations with India, Greece and Rome, translating the works of foreign physicians into Pahlavi and archiving them along with the formation of a large library, inviting foreign physicians to work at ‘GondiShapur’ University and sending Iranian physicians abroad in order to acquire more medical knowledge and experience, they were very influential in the growth and development of medical science. The current study has been conducted in a historical method with reference to library sources and archaeological sources as well as new researches have been used to complete the topics. It seems that due to the spread of Iranian civilization in the Sassanid era and paying attention to science and knowledge as well as the creation of a medical city in the Sassanid period, medical knowledge had a great importance in this period and this knowledge was researching professionally.

Relations between Theatre and Power: The Iranian Quarterly Faslnameh Teatr (1977—)

The quarterly journal Faslnameh Teatr has been published in the Iranian capital of Tehran since 1977, although with some interruptions. In a country where, since the Islamic Revolution, systematic efforts have been made to erase any trace of past monarchies, the continued publication of this journal proves to be an extremely rare, if not unique, occurrence. Of course, the prominence of the Ta’zieh ritual gives imposing visibility to the current dominant ideology within Iranian society, and the journal is effective in propagating the desired vision of the ruling Shi’ite power. The journal, then, since its very inception, has been intertwined with the affairs of power and has been consistently used as a tool in the hands of the agents of cultural politics in Iran. It has become the mirror of the country’s highly ideological cultural policy and, as a result, studying it provides knowledge of the fluctuations of culture in general, and of the theatre in particular, in Iran. Fahimeh Najmi is the author of Le Théâtre, l’Iran, et l’Occident (L’Harmattan, 2018) and of articles in Alternatives théâtrales and Registres. Deprived of work in Iran after five years of teaching, including in the Faculty of Art and Architecture of Tarbiat Modares University (TMU) in Tehran, she now lectures and researches in France. She holds a doctorate in Theatre Studies from the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris.

The prevalence of violence and its association with mental health among the Iranian population in one year after the outbreak of COVID-19 disease

BackgroundCOVID-19 spread between and across nearly every country, with considerable negative health consequences. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of violence and its association with mental health among Iranians older than 15 years in 2020.MethodsData was collected through National Mental Health Survey on 24,584 Iranians older than 15 years in 2020. were analyzed to determine the prevalence of violence and its association with mental health. Multi-stage sampling method was used, and data on demographic characteristics and domestic-social violence and mental health (GHQ-28) were collected. Data analysis was administered using descriptive statistics and a chi-square test at a 95% level.ResultsThe mean age of participants was 44.18 ± 16.4 years. The overall prevalence of domestic and social violence was 11.4% and 5.5%, respectively. Verbal violence was the most common type; with 61.8% and 66.8% for domestic and social violence, respectively. A suspected case of mental disorder, female gender, being younger than 25 years, living apart together, unemployment, low education, and history of COVID-19 infection presented a significant association with domestic and social violence (p > 0.05).ConclusionIn comparison to the previous study in 2015, the prevalence of violence has increased. Therefore, domestic and social violence are the social concerns of Iranian society, indicating the necessity of appropriate interventions, particularly for those suspected of mental disorders and young women with low education levels.

Stigma as a barrier to suicide prevention efforts in Iran.

Suicide and suicide attempt affect a considerable part of the general population, and in spite of their prevalence, the stigma associated with suicide remains an unsolved problem surrounding this important public health problem, especially in lower-income countries such as Iran. Evidence shows that help-seeking from formal mental health services for suicidal people is low in countries like Iran. Previous studies on Iranian survivors of suicide attempts have shown that these people experience fear of stigma due to labels such as loss of faith in God, having forms of severe mental illnesses ("madness"), and being involved in unaccepted sexual relationships. The associated stigma prevents them from seeking appropriate health and social services. Although both self-stigma and public stigma contribute to an unwillingness to seek mental health care and suicide prevention efforts in Iran, public stigma may be of greater consequence, significantly impeding an individual's likelihood of accessing care for their suicidal thoughts or attempts. In such circumstances, many people with suicidal thoughts miss out on social and formal support programs offered by social and healthcare providers. In this perspective article, focusing on the public stigma regarding suicide in Iranian society, we address the challenges and barriers to seeking suicide prevention efforts in Iran and discuss culturally appropriate strategies to improve the current situation.

Religious Affiliation and Childbearing Preferences of Iranian Women.

Religious differences in fertility are one of the essential issues in health and demographic research in Western societies. However, they have received less attention in Muslim countries. This study aims to investigate Shiite and Sunni religious groups' childbirth preferences in Iranian society. It also seeks to analyze their differences based on socioeconomic and demographic factors. We used data from 1020 married women aged 18-44 surveyedas part of Iran's National Family Survey in 2018. The study was designed quantitatively with a cross-sectional approach, and samples were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling. SPSS26 was used to run logisticsandPoisson regression models. The results revealed that the means (± SD) of ideal family sizes for Shiite and Sunni women were 2.6 (± 1.0) and 3.4 (± 1.3) children, respectively. Sunni women (49%) had a higher intention to have a (or another) child than Shiite women (35%). According to the multivariate analysis findings, religion alone significantly affected the ideal family size, even when other socioeconomic and demographic variables were controlled. However, it had no significant effect on the intention to have a (or another) child within the next three years. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that within the specific social structure and cultural context of Iran, religion has explanatory power regarding childbearing beliefs and values. Furthermore, regarding fertility intentions and behaviors, demographic and socioeconomic factors become more important than religion.

Investigating the Relationship Between Childhood Sexual Abuse, Marital Satisfaction and Sexual Performance in Iranian Married Women

Objective: The present study defines the experiences of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and aims to explain its relationship with satisfaction with married life and sexual performance in Iranian married women. Methods: The statistical population included all married women in Tehran Province, Iran, in 2021 in the age range of 18 to 50 years. According to the study population, 200 people were selected as the sample using the available sampling method and answered the female sexual function index, developed by Rosen et al. (2000), the marital satisfaction questionnaire by Enrich (1989), and the unwanted childhood sexual experiences questionnaire by Stevenson (1998). In the statistical method, the research hypotheses were tested according to the normally distributed research variables, using the Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression. Results: The results of the Pearson correlation showed a negative and significant relationship between the experience of CSA and satisfaction with married life, along with the two components of sexual pain and sexual desire in the variable of sexual performance (P<0.01). In addition, the multivariate regression results showed that CSA experiences could predict marital life satisfaction. However, only the component of maximum contact in the CSA variable predicted the components of sexual pain and sexual desire in the sexual performance variable (P<0.01). Conclusion: The experience of CSA in Iranian married women can affect their marital relationship and sexual performance. Accordingly, efforts should be made to identify these people and consider appropriate psychological measures for their recovery because, in Iranian culture, most people hide this incident out of social shame and fear of being dishonored.

The Relationship between Health Literacy and Hypertension Control: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Uncontrolled hypertension is a major public health problem among patients in developed and developing countries. The present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and causes of uncontrolled hypertension to facilitate the design of more effective methods of hypertension control. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 303 adults with hypertension. The Standard Health Literacy Questionnaire was used to collect data. Uncontrolled hypertension was ascertained based on the WHO definition. A multiple logistic regression model was used at a 95% confidence level. Variables considered were confounders including age, sex, marital status, family size, income (monthly mean), smoking (past or current), education level, and physical activity (times in a week). The mean (SD) age of the participants (n=303) was 59.3(12.7) years, and 57.4% were men. The prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension was 50.5%. The mean score of health literacy among patients with controlled hypertension was higher than that among patients with uncontrolled hypertension (64.83±23.72 vs 46.28±22.19; P<0.001). The odds of uncontrolled hypertension decreased by 3% in the patients (OR: 0.97; P=0.06). Adherence to treatment (OR: 0.13; P<0.001), salt consumption per package purchased per month (OR: 4.40; P=0.001), increased physical activity per hour per week (OR: 0.56; P<0.001), current or passive cigarette smoking (OR: 4.59; P=0.010), a positive history of chronic diseases (OR: 2.62; P=0.027), and increased family size (per 1 child) (OR: 0.57; P<0.001) were associated with uncontrolled hypertension. The results showed a borderline association between increased health literacy and hypertension control. Additionally, increased salt consumption, reduced physical activity, small family size, and underlying diseases (eg, diabetes, chronic heart disease, and renal disease) could increase the odds of uncontrolled hypertension in Iranian society.

A Study of Early Life Experiences, Temperament, Character, and Psychological Pain in Suicide Attempters and Normal Individuals

Background: Studies conducted in different countries have reported a relationship between suicidal tendencies and childhood trauma experiences, personality traits, and psychological pain. It would be valuable to re-examine such a relationship in Iranian culture. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate early life experiences, temperament, character, and psychological pain in suicidal attempters and normal individuals. Methods: This cross-sectional, causal-comparative, basic research was conducted retrospectively on all individuals who had attempted suicide by drug poisoning and were referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital of Kermanshah, Iran. The study sample, consisting of 121 suicide attempters by drug poisoning and 121 healthy individuals (companions of suicide attempters), was selected by purposeful sampling, according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The participants completed the questionnaires about early life experiences, temperament, character, and mental pain. A discriminant analysis was also performed to analyze the data. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 26. Results: Based on the simultaneous discriminant analysis, 4 predicting variables (early life experiences, temperament, character, and psychological pain components) could explain 91.7% of the variance in suicide attempts. Based on the stepwise discriminant analysis, six subscales predicting variables (emptiness/worthlessness, harm avoidance, persistence, worthlessness, cooperation, and self-transcendence) could explain 91.7% of the variance in suicide attempts, as shown in the discriminant function analysis for differentiation of suicide attempters from normal people. Conclusions: Based on the findings of the present study, emptiness/worthlessness, personality traits, and early traumatic experiences can predispose individuals to suicide attempts. Therefore, there is an urgent need for psychological interventions to reduce psychological pain in suicidal attempters.

Performing Persian poetics on Instagram: an interview with @barkhi_az_honarmandan

ABSTRACT Uncensored, unlike many other social media platforms in Iran, Instagram has become the most popular social media platform among Iranians, providing a space for creative expression including the creation of Instapoetry. Here I offer an interview with the group behind the @barkhi_az_honarmandan account, an Instagram account run by anonymous admins that produces digital poetry. Since Iran and its news form the main focus of this account, the page is actively involved in creating visual poetics as a form of digital activism. In its work, @barkhi_az_honarmandan takes on a performative presence on Instagram and combines visual and literary digital art to create digital contents that reflect. It thus prompts reflections, on news and issues related to Iranian culture and society, by creating engaging digital art with a poetic style and powerful impact. This interview, prefaced with a brief description of the impact of social media visual poetry. It shows that social media and Instapoetry have become vital tools for political dissent and creative expression in Iran, allowing individuals to connect with others and engage in dialogues or political activism in Iran. In particular, the close reading of specific posts and poems by Iranian account demonstrates some of the semiotic codes of Persian language activist online poetry.

Fear of the unknown, anxiety, and social isolation in Iranian patients with Covid-19, the grounded theory.

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has incurred a health challenge. Patients suffer from many physical and mental disorders. To accurately identify the experience of patients with Covid-19 in the Iranian society. This qualitative research was conducted using the grounded theory. The data of this grounded theory study were collected using 32 semi-structured interviews with participants and field notes including the patients with Covid-19, nurses, physicians, and the patients' families. Data analysis was performed using Corbin and Strauss (2008) approach for concepts, context, process, and categories' integration. Qualitative analysis of data led to the extraction of 54 sub-categories and 7 final categories. "Isolation, fear of death, and fear of infection of relatives and family members" were identified as the main issue. The context to this concern was the "unfamiliarity with the virus due to its ambiguous nature that was obtained with a wide range of symptoms." Facing this issue, the patients used the strategy of "adherence to health protocol in the coronavirus infection process" that was recognized as the central variable. The ambiguous and complex nature of the emerging virus, the appearance of different symptoms in different people, and the fear of infecting others, death and anxiety due to unknown complications of the disease make patients go through the most difficult experience of their lives. That requires ongoing training on up-to-date prevention and treatment protocols, along with the emergence of mutated viruses and new symptoms.

Persian Translation and Determining the Validity of 2020 Standards for Health-Promoting Hospitals and Health Services Affiliated with the World Health Organization.

Since the establishment of the International Health Promotion Hospitals (HPH) in 2006, standards have been designed to evaluate this network. Based on the request of the General Assembly of HPH, the new standards have been revised in 2020 to be in harmony with the new global strategy of HPH for the years 2021-2025. The present study was conducted to translate the original version of the self-evaluation form of HPH and to determine its validity and reliability in Iranian society. The standard process of forward and backward translation was followed after that to determine the face validity of the Persian version of HPH standards, fifteen experts from ten hospitals in five major cities in Iran (Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz and Hamadan) gave their opinions about 86 standard statements based on a five-point Likert scale, and the impact score was calculated. For determining content validity, both the content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) were used. All 86 standard statements of the five main standards had an impact score higher than 1.5. Also, regarding CVR, all 86 standard statements had a score higher than 0.49 (the minimum plausible score based on Lawshe's table). Finally, after calculating the CVI, all the standard statements had a CVI higher than 0.8, which indicated a very good content validity index for all the items. According to the results of this study, the Persian form of the 2020 HPH standards is valid enough to be used in Iranian hospitals and health services.

Analysis of the Clergy's Perspective on Cultural Invasion and Its Impact on Iranian Families

Aim: This study aimed to analyze the cultural invasion and its damages to the Iranian family foundation from the perspective of the Clergy's viewpoint. Method: This research was conducted using a descriptive-analytical method, relying on library resources. Results: One of the social functions of the media is its role in introducing the concept of family to the audience. They often depict families as distinguishable and prominent units. This method transfers the family foundation from one generation to another. The purpose of this research is to identify the destructive effects of cultural invasion, soft war, and cultural damages to Iranian families from the perspective of the Clergy. Western media can impose their own definition of family on the Iranian society by repeatedly publishing their desired definition of family, thus causing a change in a society from within. This has become a concern for officials, including the Clergy. Conclusion: Data analysis showed that the virtual space and media have the most significant impact on cultural invasion.

Assessment of the Factor Structure of Test Tokyo University Egogram (TEG 3) on Women and Men in Iran

Objective: Understanding personality characteristics can help us understand how individuals manifest their personality through their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Among numerous tools available to assess personality, one of them is the Egogram questionnaire. Accordingly, the purpose of this research was to standardize the Tokyo University Egogram questionnaire (TEG3). Methods and Materials: The present research was a descriptive correlation study with a standardization approach. The statistical population of the study included women and men aged 20 to 40 in Tehran in 2021. 2707 participants, including 1585 women and 1122 men, were selected through convenience sampling. The Egogram questionnaire was designed based on the transactional analysis theory, which included 5 factors: the criticizing parent, the supportive parent, the adult, the natural child, the adapted child, and the Q validity scale and L lie scale. Data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha, and SPSS.22 software. Findings: The results of the validity, internal consistency, and reliability of the tool using Cronbach's alpha, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis showed that the Egogram questionnaire consists of 5 factors in the Iranian culture, and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of all the factors is above 0.7. Also, the Pearson correlation coefficient showed an acceptable internal consistency within the questionnaire factors among women and men. Conclusion: This questionnaire can be used as a practical and new tool in the field of personality psychology and approaches such as schema therapy.

The Iranian New Wave: Poetic Neorealist Cinema

This paper discusses Iranian cinema, its focus on neorealism and the use of real and fictional elements to create a deeper sense of reality. The author explores the choice of themes in Iranian cinema and highlights two prominent themes: children as protagonists and women's stories. Children's cinema often features a minimalist storyline, ordinary and trivial, but can evoke deep emotions. Women's stories focus on exploring the specific norms and challenges that women face in Iranian culture, often depicting their struggles under religious and patriarchal oppression. The paper discusses several examples of Iranian films that feature these themes, such as "Where Is the Friend's Home?" and "Became a Woman".

Effectiveness of Group Poetry Therapy of Mazza's Multidimensional Model (Based on the Romantic Debates of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh) on Response to Intrusion Memories, Automatic Thoughts and Affect Balance in Female Students with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

Objective: Iranian culture has always been mixed with Persian poetry and literature. Poetry therapy is also considered one of the complementary methods of psychotherapy. The present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of group poetry therapy of Mazza's multidimensional model (based on Shahnameh Ferdowsi's romantic debates) on Response to Intrusions, automatic thoughts, and affect balance in female students with premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Method: The research method was quasi-experimental. The statistical population included all students living in the dormitory of Farhangian University of Ardabil, and from this population, during three stages, 20 participants with premenstrual dysphoric disorder were selected as samples in two experimental and control groups. Measures including the Response to Intrusions Questionnaire, Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire, and Affect Balance Scale were performed on both groups, and the poetry therapy protocol based on Shahnameh Ferdowsi's romantic debates was performed on the experimental group. Results: The findings showed that after controlling the effects of the pre-test, the experimental group had a significant improvement in each of the factors of negative interpretation (F= 40.990, p&lt;0.01), rumination (F=23.367, p&lt;0.01), suppression (F=13.753, p&lt;0.01), distress (F=16.924, p&lt;0.01), automatic thoughts (F=28.874, p&lt;0.01), positive affect balance (F=13.892, p&lt;0.01) and negative affect balance (F=55.887, p&lt;0.01). Conclusion: Based on findings, Ferdowsi's romantic debates in the context of group therapy can lead to a reduction of PMDD symptoms by launching positive therapeutic components such as catharsis and empathy.

Psychological experiences of mothers of children with severe haemophilia in Iranian culture: A phenomenological study

Abstract Introduction Caregiving for children with haemophilia is a critical role that requires vigilance and significant lifestyle change, impacting on social activities, physical and psychological health and emotional experiences. Aim To explore the lived experience of mothers in Iran as caregivers of boys with severe haemophilia, focusing specifically on their psychological challenges. Methods This phenomenological study forms part of a larger study exploring psychological difficulties and social interactions of mothers of boys with haemophilia (BWH) in Iran. Semi-structured in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with the biological mothers caring for one son with severe haemophilia A or B. Interview questions focused on challenges related to treatment, medication, prophylaxis and their interactions with HCPs, including the mothers’ feelings and coping mechanisms, and were adjusted to the Iranian cultural context. Participants were recruited from Mofid Comprehensive Care Centre for Children with Haemophilia (MCCCCH) in Tehran. Data analysis was based on van Manen’s six-step framework, using MAX.QDA software (2020), to identify themes. Findings were triangulated with findings from interviews with HCPs at MCCCCH about their perceptions of the challenges the mothers experience. Results Fifteen mothers of BWH were interviewed, most of whom had no or an unknown family history and no previous knowledge of haemophilia. Five themes and 27 subthemes of psychological experiences were identified. Themes included Daily emotional experiences; Challenge of acceptance; Defence mechanisms; Coping strategies (Emotion-focused and Problem-focused); and Positive expectations of the future. The most notable findings related to Daily emotional experiences and Defence mechanisms. Emotional reactions were diverse and included depression, fear and regret. Participants used a variety of defence mechanisms, including rumination and avoidance to try and overcome their situation. Conclusion If informed properly about medical issues and enabled to gain insight into their psychological responses, mothers of children with haemophilia in Iran may be able to better regulate emotional complexities and handle disappointment or unrealistic expectations, thereby enhancing their quality of life. There is a need for psychological services in haemophilia care in Iran that needs to be addressed in order to better support the wellbeing of patients and their families. This psychological supportive care should be informed by culturally appropriate guidelines and could be extended to similar communities in the Middle East.

Preserving the Scientific Dignity of the Persian Language as the Language of People With Rich Culture and History

Language is one of the most important parts of any culture. Persian language is one of the main components of the Iranian culture. Learning Persian language is a way for understanding Iranian culture and history. Like other languages in the world, It is crucial to pay attention and preserve all aspects of Persian language including scientific, educational and religious. All cultural institutions in Iran including the Academy of Persian Language and Literature and important people such as the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran have strongly emphasized that “Persian language should be expanded and its cultural influence in the world should be increased”. They emphasize “writing in Persian”, “creating words in Persian” ,”creating terms in Persian”, and “publishing scientific works in Persian”. Publication of scientific works in Persian can lead to the enrichment of the Persian language and reading by more people and contribute to improving the dissemination of scientific information in society particularly in human sciences.

Elements of Persian literature in Arabic poetry by Mehyar Deylam

The article dwells on issues beset with the study of elements of Persian literature in Arabic poetry by Mehyar Deylami. As it is known, Persian culture is one of the richest cultures in the world, which has always attracted the attention of many poets.

Quand la société reprend le pouvoir : l'Iran face au Covid

Cities and societies are increasingly facing frequent and global crises, sometimes in different ways, sometimes in similar ways. The Iranian city and society managed the Covid-19 crisis, being among the first to be exposed to it at the beginning of 2020. Against the backdrop of a loss of confidence in the authorities, this crisis exposed the flaws of a society facing global challenges, but also its ability to address changes in an urban society heavily reliant on motor vehicles for transportation.

Presentation of a Model of Situational Influencing Factors on Consumer Behavior in Shopping Centers

Objective: The primary aim of this article is to present a model of situational influencing factors on consumer behavior in shopping centers. Methodology: The research method used is a mixed (qualitative-quantitative) approach. In addition to documentary study, the grounded theory method has been employed to identify effective situational factors influencing consumer behavior in shopping centers. The population for this study included all academic experts, faculty members, managers, and professionals familiar with situational influencing factors on consumer behavior in shopping centers until theoretical saturation was achieved with 15 interviews. All interviews lasted between 45 to 75 minutes. Semi-structured interviews with experts were conducted in 2022 using a questionnaire with 164 indicators, 27 components, and 8 dimensions, which were eventually placed in a paradigm model with 6 variables. To determine the current status of dimensions, a one-sample t-test was used, and for designing the model, the structural equation method was applied. In the current situation, the behavioral interactions dimension with a t-value of 3.61 is in a better state compared to other dimensions. Finally, for the model's validation, the Strauss and Corbin method with four dimensions (understanding, adaptation, generalization, control) was evaluated and endorsed by experts. Findings: In the first phase of this research, semi-structured interviews were used to identify dimensions, components, and indicators of consumer behavior, resulting in 164 indicators for 8 dimensions and 27 components, and eventually for the cultural-social dimension 2 components, individual and psychological factors 5 components, behavioral interactions 3 components, decision to purchase 1 component, and for the marketing mix dimension 5 components, environmental factors 7 components, managerial capabilities 2 components, and for the purchasing behavior dimension 2 components were identified. Conclusion: In this study, we accept scientific findings and models designed in the Western context, while respecting the findings of these researchers, solely because the origin of these theories is consumer behavior in the cultural context of those countries, not based on education with Iranian and indigenous culture. Therefore, we have added elements that bring these theories closer to indigenous culture where applicable.