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Pourandokht Niroumand; Mahnaz Aliakbari Dehkordi; Nazanin Abed; Ahmad Alipour
Abstract
Objective: Intimacy is conceptualized as the capacity for self-awareness in the presence of others, driven by a motivation to cultivate meaningful social integration. Given its pivotal role in psychological well-being, this study aims to elucidate the lived experiences of intimacy among resilient ...
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Objective: Intimacy is conceptualized as the capacity for self-awareness in the presence of others, driven by a motivation to cultivate meaningful social integration. Given its pivotal role in psychological well-being, this study aims to elucidate the lived experiences of intimacy among resilient Iranian women who have recovered from COVID-19. Method: Employing a descriptive phenomenological approach, Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 Iranian women after reaching theoretical saturation. The purposive sampling method is criterion-based to select individuals who have real-life experience with the phenomenon in question. Participants were women who had recovered from COVID-19 and scored above 85 on the SPF-24 resilience scale. Interview transcripts were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step method include Familiarization, identifying significant statements, formulating meanings, clustering themes, Developing an Exhaustive description, Producing the fundamental structure, and Seeking verification of the fundamental structure. Results: The participants conceptualized intimacy through three main themes—deep emotional connection, intimate physical and sexual interaction, and mutual understanding and coordination in daily matters—along with nine subthemes and 95 initial codes. They employed strategies such as conflict management and problem-solving, maintaining individual autonomy within the relationship, adaptability to change, balancing work and life, social support, strengthening spirituality and shared values, humor, and recreational activities. These strategies contributed to outcomes including marital satisfaction, trust and empathy, personal autonomy and empowerment, high-quality sexual relations, effective conflict resolution, joint decision-making, psychological security, a positive environment for children's development, happiness, and overall life satisfaction. To verify the reliability of the analysis process, the Holst reliability coefficient, which is a formula for determining the reliability of nominal data in terms of the percentage of agreement observed between the main researcher and another coding researcher, was used. PAO (Percentage Agreement over Observations) For the first theme (deep emotional connection), it is 0.864, for the second theme (intimate physical and sexual interaction), it is 0.883, and for the third theme (mutual understanding and coordination in daily), it is 0.865 and for all three themes of this study, it is 0.870, which confirmed the reliability of the analysis process.Conclusion: The results of the lived experiences of the meaning of intimacy of resilient Iranian women recovered from Corona in three subjects: 1) Deep Emotional Connection, comprising subthemes of emotional security, empathy and mutual understanding, and trust and honesty;2) intimate physical and sexual interaction comprising subthemes of satisfying and reciprocal sexual relations, affectionate and non-sexual touches, and maintaining personal and physical dignity and boundaries and 3) mutual understanding and coordination in daily matters including three sub-themes: cooperation in home and family affairs, effective interaction in decision-making, and effective conflict resolution indicative three type of intimacy is their emotional, sexual, understanding, and empathy. These findings can be used to empower therapists and couples therapy researchers and teaching marital relationship strategies used by these women, including constructive problem-oriented and emotion-oriented strategies such as "conflict management and problem solving" and "maintaining individual independence in the relationship", marital satisfaction, trust and empathy, personal independence and empowerment, quality sexual relationships, and a positive environment for children to grow.
A
Ali Beheshti motlagh; mohammad narimani; Sajjad Basharpoor
Abstract
Objective: Substance use disorder is shaped by many factors, including biological, psychological, social, and cultural influences. Quantitative research has helped identify prevalence rates and common risk factors, but it often does not show how people themselves understand their first experiences with ...
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Objective: Substance use disorder is shaped by many factors, including biological, psychological, social, and cultural influences. Quantitative research has helped identify prevalence rates and common risk factors, but it often does not show how people themselves understand their first experiences with substance use. This matters even more in contexts where substance use can feel “normal,” for example through family habits, peer influence, or misunderstandings about medical benefits. In Iran, substances have long been used not only for recreation but also as informal remedies for physical and emotional pain. For this reason, a phenomenological approach can offer a clearer view of how individuals make sense of early substance use and what meanings they attach to it. This study explored the lived experiences of individuals with substance use disorders, focusing on the factors that influenced how they first began using substances. It aimed to identify key themes and common patterns showing how personal, social, and psychological influences interact and shape early substance use. Method: This qualitative study used a phenomenological design based on Colaizzi’s method. Participants were recruited in 2023 from Narcotics Anonymous (NA) and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) groups in Bojnord and Mashhad, Iran. In total, 121 men and women were selected through purposive sampling with maximum variation. We aimed for diversity in age, gender, educational level, socioeconomic status, and duration of abstinence. Recruitment continued until theoretical data saturation was reached. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The interview guide was developed based on the study objectives and a review of relevant literature. It included open-ended questions about how participants began using substances, what they believed contributed to that decision, and what substance use meant to them at the time. During the interviews, probing questions were used to clarify points and encourage more detailed answers. Interviews were conducted face-to-face in safe locations agreed on by both sides and lasted 45 to 70 minutes. With informed consent, all interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis followed Colaizzi’s systematic seven-step approach. This included reading the transcripts several times, identifying significant statements, formulating meanings, clustering themes, and producing an exhaustive description of the phenomenon. To ensure rigor and trustworthiness, Lincoln and Guba’s criteria—credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability—were applied. Member checking, peer debriefing, and careful documentation of the analytic process were used to strengthen the findings. Results: The interview analysis identified three main themes and seventeen subthemes that reflect participants’ lived experiences of substance use initiation. Overall, the themes point to connected psychological, social, and contextual influences on early substance use. The subthemes were reported descriptively using qualitative frequency indicators (e.g., most participants, many participants, some participants), in line with qualitative research standards. The analysis produced three main themes: Pleasure-Seeking, Medical-Related Factors, and Internal and Psychological Problems. Participants often described starting substance use to experience pleasure, cope with emotional distress, manage physical pain, or gain social acceptance. Participants’ narratives showed that substance use often began in social or family settings where it was seen as normal. In these contexts, substances were sometimes viewed as harmless, useful, or even beneficial. Emotional deprivation, loneliness, and untreated psychological distress also appeared as especially important influences. Conclusion: The findings suggest that substance use initiation is a subjective, meaning-laden process shaped by pleasure-seeking motives, medical misconceptions, and unresolved psychological needs. These results highlight the need for prevention and relapse prevention programs that focus on emotional regulation, mental health awareness, and culturally embedded beliefs about substance use. Using individuals lived experiences to inform intervention design may improve the effectiveness of culturally sensitive and integrated prevention strategies.
Mojtaba Dehghan; Jafar Hasani; Alireza Moradi; SHahram Mohamadkhani
Abstract
Objective: The experience of cancer has important socio-cultural aspects that can have serious psychological consequences for cancer survivors. These aspects of the illness can even affect their health and survival. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of exploring the contextual experiences ...
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Objective: The experience of cancer has important socio-cultural aspects that can have serious psychological consequences for cancer survivors. These aspects of the illness can even affect their health and survival. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of exploring the contextual experiences that people face after cancer. Method: The present qualitative research used interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Data collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 cancer patients. Findings: From the analysis of the interviews, the main concept of "cancer-based contextual experiences" was explored, which includes six conceptual clusters: Unexpected being, cultural attitudes, explanation of illness, cancer metaphors, social feedback, horrible predictions. Conclusion: After cancer diagnosis, overall, People are exposed to a range of socio-cultural experiences which can affect their adaptation to illness. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to these components in cancer-related educational (social and individual) and therapeutic interventions.I
