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Papers by Alireza Momeni

Jundishapur Journal of Chronic Disease Care, 2013

Introduction: People suffering from psychiatric illness experience stigma as an unpleasant social... more Introduction: People suffering from psychiatric illness experience stigma as an unpleasant social construct. Stigma has many damaging effects on the individuals, work, home-managing and social communications in these people. The main objective of this grounded theory study was to develop the perspectives of sufferers, their families, and healthcare team members about stigma in people with psychiatric problems. Materials & Methods: Data analysis in the grounded theory method was conducted. Sixteen participants were selected based on purposeful sampling and then subjected to semi-structured interviews until reaching data saturation. Results: Four categories emerged: stigma initiating factors, instigation of stigmatization (facilitators), mental challenges and emotional reactions of the individual when facing with stigma, avoidance strategy against stigmatization. "Social identity" was the fifth and the core category. Conclusion: The stigma is a multifactor long-term psychiat...

BACKGROUND: There is a voluminous literature on mental illness stigma. However, most studies deri... more BACKGROUND: There is a voluminous literature on mental illness stigma. However, most studies derive from Western countries and little is known about mental illness stigma in Asian countries. This study was aimed to investigate the factors influencing mental illness stigma in Iran. METHOD: A content analysis with a qualitative approach was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were completed with 12 participants aged 22 – 61years including people with a diagnosis of mental illness, mental health professionals and lawyer. Participants were selected using purposive sampling from three psychiatric centers in Tehran. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed six main themes: Lack of public knowledge relating mental illness, Negative attitudes, Stereotypes, Negative influence of media, weakness of the law relating mental illness and Insufficient treatment. The findings showed although stigma is identified as a major concern to most people with a diagnosis of mental illness in different societies, b...

ABSTRACT Stigma is identified as a multidimensional phenomenon and depends on social, cultural, a... more ABSTRACT Stigma is identified as a multidimensional phenomenon and depends on social, cultural, and ideological context. The most studies about mental illness stigma derive from Western countries, and little is known in Asian countries. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of stigma in people with a diagnosis of mental illness and their coping strategies in Iran. In this grounded theory study 12 participants, including 11 males and 1 female, ages 22 to 63, and in three psychiatric centers in Tehran, Iran, were recruited through purposive sampling. Participants included people with a diagnosis of mental illness and mental health professionals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data until saturation. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The results of this study revealed the following categories: Social factors influencing stigma, Social identity, Facilitators, Emotional reactions, Secrecy and avoidance, and Consequences. The findings showed mental illness stigma can threaten social identity of individuals, so managing social identity was the basic social process people with a diagnosis of mental illness used to cope with the stigma. The finding can be important in deepening our understanding of sociocultural processes underlying stigma, and therefore we can create new and effective strategies to hasten its elimination.

Journal of Client-centered Nursing Care, 2015

Background: The stigma of mental disorder has destructive impacts on emotions, feelings, personal... more Background: The stigma of mental disorder has destructive impacts on emotions, feelings, personal relationships, parenting, education, occupation, and house management of people with mental disorders. Understanding and awareness of the stigma consequences are important for the establishment and development of constructive relationships with people suffering from mental disorders as well as their care and treatment. This qualitative research aimed to explain the attitudes of people with mental disorder, the treatment team, and the patients' families towards the consequences of stigma in the life of people with mental disorder. Methods: This study was conducted using a qualitative approach and content analysis method. Sixteen people (patients with mental disorder, their family members, psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse, social worker, legal expert) were selected from 3 psychiatric centers in Tehran by using targeted sampling method and were interviewed using semi-structured interviews until the data were saturated. Results: Content analysis of the interviews showed that people with mental disorder experience the consequences of stigma as fear of stigma, self-blame, searching for a cause for the disorder, denial, avoiding psychiatric treatment, rejection, discrimination, and relapse. Conclusion: The findings of this research can help the psychiatric team to make effective and targeted treatment decisions. Performing interventions to reduce stigma of mental disorder in society seems to be necessary.

Conference Presentations by Alireza Momeni

Language as a social institute (Miller,2014) shapes our perception within social world. People us... more Language as a social institute (Miller,2014) shapes our perception within social world. People use the language to express their thoughts and feelings, they also draw on that to make decisions and act in real-world circumstances. Stigma is a social construct which is described as “the situation of the individual who is disqualified from full social acceptance” (Goffman, 1963, p. 9). The key point in the creation of stigma is the perception of differences (Smit, 2002). Language, in this sense, can constitute a powerful tool for asserting our identity and our distinctiveness from others (Jaspal, 2009).

The present study aimed to explore the role of language to construct stigma in people with a diagnosis of substance abuse in the social, cultural, and ideological context.

The abstract is available on http://www.uta.fi/yky/sspaivat2016/en/sessions/self.html

Stigma is identified as a major barrier to recovery from some health problems. Substance abuse is... more Stigma is identified as a major barrier to recovery from some health problems. Substance abuse is more highly stigmatized than other health conditions. Despite a large literature on the topic, the concept of the substance abuse stigma remains poorly understood in Iran. The present study aimed to explore stigma associated with substance abuse in the social, cultural, and ideological context. A qualitative approach was employed, using in-depth interviewing with a purposive sample (N=30, 17 male, 13 female) of currently abstinent drug abusers and health professionals from the three rehabilitation centers in Tehran. Data analysis was conducted by using the constant comparative method. The results of the study revealed the following categories: Public attitude, socially constructed images, Hierarchical interactions, Identity crisis, and coping strategies. The finding can be important for deeply understanding of sociocultural processes underlying stigma, as well as facilitating to plan the efficient strategies to combat.

Stigma is identified as a multidimensional phenomenon and depends on social, cultural, and ideolo... more Stigma is identified as a multidimensional phenomenon and depends on social, cultural, and ideological context. The most studies about mental illness stigma derive from Western countries, and little is known in Asian countries. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of stigma in people with a diagnosis of mental illness and their coping strategies in Iran. In this grounded theory study 12 participants, including 11 males and 1 female, ages 22 to 63, and in three psychiatric centers in Tehran, Iran, were recruited through purposive sampling. Participants included people with a diagnosis of mental illness and mental health professionals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data until saturation. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The results of this study revealed the following categories: Social factors influencing stigma, Social identity, Facilitators, Emotional reactions, Secrecy and avoidance, and Consequences. The findings showed mental illness stigma can threaten social identity of individuals, so managing social identity was the basic social process people with a diagnosis of mental illness used to cope with the stigma. The finding can be important in deepening our understanding of sociocultural processes underlying stigma, and therefore we can create new and effective strategies to hasten its elimination.

Jundishapur Journal of Chronic Disease Care, 2013

Introduction: People suffering from psychiatric illness experience stigma as an unpleasant social... more Introduction: People suffering from psychiatric illness experience stigma as an unpleasant social construct. Stigma has many damaging effects on the individuals, work, home-managing and social communications in these people. The main objective of this grounded theory study was to develop the perspectives of sufferers, their families, and healthcare team members about stigma in people with psychiatric problems. Materials & Methods: Data analysis in the grounded theory method was conducted. Sixteen participants were selected based on purposeful sampling and then subjected to semi-structured interviews until reaching data saturation. Results: Four categories emerged: stigma initiating factors, instigation of stigmatization (facilitators), mental challenges and emotional reactions of the individual when facing with stigma, avoidance strategy against stigmatization. "Social identity" was the fifth and the core category. Conclusion: The stigma is a multifactor long-term psychiat...

BACKGROUND: There is a voluminous literature on mental illness stigma. However, most studies deri... more BACKGROUND: There is a voluminous literature on mental illness stigma. However, most studies derive from Western countries and little is known about mental illness stigma in Asian countries. This study was aimed to investigate the factors influencing mental illness stigma in Iran. METHOD: A content analysis with a qualitative approach was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were completed with 12 participants aged 22 – 61years including people with a diagnosis of mental illness, mental health professionals and lawyer. Participants were selected using purposive sampling from three psychiatric centers in Tehran. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed six main themes: Lack of public knowledge relating mental illness, Negative attitudes, Stereotypes, Negative influence of media, weakness of the law relating mental illness and Insufficient treatment. The findings showed although stigma is identified as a major concern to most people with a diagnosis of mental illness in different societies, b...

ABSTRACT Stigma is identified as a multidimensional phenomenon and depends on social, cultural, a... more ABSTRACT Stigma is identified as a multidimensional phenomenon and depends on social, cultural, and ideological context. The most studies about mental illness stigma derive from Western countries, and little is known in Asian countries. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of stigma in people with a diagnosis of mental illness and their coping strategies in Iran. In this grounded theory study 12 participants, including 11 males and 1 female, ages 22 to 63, and in three psychiatric centers in Tehran, Iran, were recruited through purposive sampling. Participants included people with a diagnosis of mental illness and mental health professionals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data until saturation. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The results of this study revealed the following categories: Social factors influencing stigma, Social identity, Facilitators, Emotional reactions, Secrecy and avoidance, and Consequences. The findings showed mental illness stigma can threaten social identity of individuals, so managing social identity was the basic social process people with a diagnosis of mental illness used to cope with the stigma. The finding can be important in deepening our understanding of sociocultural processes underlying stigma, and therefore we can create new and effective strategies to hasten its elimination.

Journal of Client-centered Nursing Care, 2015

Background: The stigma of mental disorder has destructive impacts on emotions, feelings, personal... more Background: The stigma of mental disorder has destructive impacts on emotions, feelings, personal relationships, parenting, education, occupation, and house management of people with mental disorders. Understanding and awareness of the stigma consequences are important for the establishment and development of constructive relationships with people suffering from mental disorders as well as their care and treatment. This qualitative research aimed to explain the attitudes of people with mental disorder, the treatment team, and the patients' families towards the consequences of stigma in the life of people with mental disorder. Methods: This study was conducted using a qualitative approach and content analysis method. Sixteen people (patients with mental disorder, their family members, psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse, social worker, legal expert) were selected from 3 psychiatric centers in Tehran by using targeted sampling method and were interviewed using semi-structured interviews until the data were saturated. Results: Content analysis of the interviews showed that people with mental disorder experience the consequences of stigma as fear of stigma, self-blame, searching for a cause for the disorder, denial, avoiding psychiatric treatment, rejection, discrimination, and relapse. Conclusion: The findings of this research can help the psychiatric team to make effective and targeted treatment decisions. Performing interventions to reduce stigma of mental disorder in society seems to be necessary.

Language as a social institute (Miller,2014) shapes our perception within social world. People us... more Language as a social institute (Miller,2014) shapes our perception within social world. People use the language to express their thoughts and feelings, they also draw on that to make decisions and act in real-world circumstances. Stigma is a social construct which is described as “the situation of the individual who is disqualified from full social acceptance” (Goffman, 1963, p. 9). The key point in the creation of stigma is the perception of differences (Smit, 2002). Language, in this sense, can constitute a powerful tool for asserting our identity and our distinctiveness from others (Jaspal, 2009).

The present study aimed to explore the role of language to construct stigma in people with a diagnosis of substance abuse in the social, cultural, and ideological context.

The abstract is available on http://www.uta.fi/yky/sspaivat2016/en/sessions/self.html

Stigma is identified as a major barrier to recovery from some health problems. Substance abuse is... more Stigma is identified as a major barrier to recovery from some health problems. Substance abuse is more highly stigmatized than other health conditions. Despite a large literature on the topic, the concept of the substance abuse stigma remains poorly understood in Iran. The present study aimed to explore stigma associated with substance abuse in the social, cultural, and ideological context. A qualitative approach was employed, using in-depth interviewing with a purposive sample (N=30, 17 male, 13 female) of currently abstinent drug abusers and health professionals from the three rehabilitation centers in Tehran. Data analysis was conducted by using the constant comparative method. The results of the study revealed the following categories: Public attitude, socially constructed images, Hierarchical interactions, Identity crisis, and coping strategies. The finding can be important for deeply understanding of sociocultural processes underlying stigma, as well as facilitating to plan the efficient strategies to combat.

Stigma is identified as a multidimensional phenomenon and depends on social, cultural, and ideolo... more Stigma is identified as a multidimensional phenomenon and depends on social, cultural, and ideological context. The most studies about mental illness stigma derive from Western countries, and little is known in Asian countries. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of stigma in people with a diagnosis of mental illness and their coping strategies in Iran. In this grounded theory study 12 participants, including 11 males and 1 female, ages 22 to 63, and in three psychiatric centers in Tehran, Iran, were recruited through purposive sampling. Participants included people with a diagnosis of mental illness and mental health professionals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data until saturation. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The results of this study revealed the following categories: Social factors influencing stigma, Social identity, Facilitators, Emotional reactions, Secrecy and avoidance, and Consequences. The findings showed mental illness stigma can threaten social identity of individuals, so managing social identity was the basic social process people with a diagnosis of mental illness used to cope with the stigma. The finding can be important in deepening our understanding of sociocultural processes underlying stigma, and therefore we can create new and effective strategies to hasten its elimination.