ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Descriptive & Survey Study

Authors

Ebrahimi   L. (*)
Moradi   F. (1)






(*) Psychology Department, Humanities Faculty, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
(1) Clinical Psychology Department, Psychology Faculty, Zajan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran

Correspondence

Address: Room 38, Psychology Department, Humanities Faculty, University of Zanjan, Daneshgah Boulevard, Zanjan, Iran. Postal Code: 4537138791
Phone: +98 (24) 33054478
Fax: +98 (24) 33054181
l.ebrahimi@znu.ac.ir

Article History

Received:  January  6, 2018
Accepted:  March 14, 2018
ePublished:  August 29, 2018

BRIEF TEXT


[1, 2]. Retirement is a situation in which a person resigns from his official occupation on the basis of his statutory salary and benefits on account of his age and his service record and on the basis of a retirement pension approved by the competent authorities. It is accompanied with a set of symptoms, such as feeling of reaching the end, emptiness and unexpectedness, anxiety, depression, fear of rejection, and concerns that people experience in different ways [4].

... [5-8]. Research shows that one of the behavioral problems in veterans is aggression and an inability to control anger [9]. Factors in the lives of a retired veteran can be effective in incidence or aggravating of aggression, or reducing or modifying it. Meanwhile, one of the factors that can significantly reduce aggressive behaviors and the stresses of retirement, old age and being veteran in the studied range is perceived social support and psychological hardness. .... [10-18]. Social support is associated with the improvement and development of mechanisms for adaptation and psychological adaptation, helping the elderly feel secure and relaxed in a state of stress [19]. ... [20, 21]. One of the variables that can affect survivors' perceptions of stress and stressors in the periphery is their psychological hardiness. Kobasa considers hardiness as a combination of beliefs about oneself and the world that protects a person from external and internal pressures [22]. ... [23-29]. Pourmardan and Ghaffari in the study of the relationship between psychological hardiness and perceived stress in war veterans showed that there is a significant relationship between psychological hardiness and perceived stress in war veterans, and psychological hardiness can predict perceived stress in veterans [30]. ... [31].

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of perceived social support and psychological hardiness in perceived stress and aggression of retired veterans.

The present research is a descriptive-correlational study.

This research was conducted in 2017 among all retired veterans of Bijar city (123 people).

Of these, 92 people were selected through convenience sampling method according to the Morgan table and the desired criteria of the researcher as the research sample. The criteria for entry into the study include injuries over 25%, at least six months of retirement, retired veteran over 50 years of age, complete satisfaction to complete the research questionnaire, presence in the field of research and exit criteria, included a person with a physical illness or a specific psychological disorder, and dissatisfaction or disagreement to continue cooperation in the research.

The research instrument was a perceived stress questionnaire [12, 32-35], aggression questionnaire [36-38], perceived social support scale [39-41], and psychological hardiness questionnaire [22, 42-47]. In order to carry out the research, first, the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs of Bijar city were consulted and the license to conduct research and collect necessary data was obtained. After collecting the statistics of the veterans of the city (217 people), it was found that 123 subjects according to the criteria of the researcher were entered into the present study, then according to the Morgan table, 92 subjects were selected as the sample. They contacted these people and asked for a collaboration after justifying their participation in the research. In the next stage, after verbal and written informed consent, the questionnaires were distributed to 123 veterans. Considering that some of the population of the study population had a diploma degree or less, it was difficult for them to understand the questions and time and energy were doubled for explaining the questions for them. Individuals who were willing to attend were asked to complete the research by referring to the Foundation of the Martyrs and Veterans Affairs office and the questionnaires were sent to people who could not be present for any reason. After collecting completed questionnaires, 92 questionnaires were answered completely and accurately. To analyze the research data according to the research method, Pearson correlation and multiple simultaneous regression analysis and SPSS 22 software were used.

The mean age of the male group and female group was 59.34 ± 5.14 and 56.84 ± 4.24, respectively. Also, in terms of education, 48.6%, 26.2%, 18.3%, and 6.9% had junior high school, diploma, undergraduate, graduate and more education respectively. The mean of perceived social support, aggression, hardiness, and the perceived social support were 76.86 ± 11.86, aggression (80.12 ± 17.97), 115.10 ± 15.95 and 42.83 ± 9.79 respectively. There was a correlation between perceived social support and psychological hardiness with perceived stress and aggression. Accordingly, there was a negative and significant correlation between perceived social support with perceived stress (r = -0.28, p <0.05). On the other hand, there was a negative and significant correlation between perceived social support and aggression (p <0.05, r = -0.22), and there was a significant negative correlation between perceived stress and hardiness (r = -0.30, p <0.05) and there was a significant negative correlation between hardiness and aggression (r = -0.27, p <0.05). Finally, there was a positive and significant correlation between aggression and perceived stress (p <0.05, r = 0.52); Table 1). The two variables of perceived social support and psychological hardiness explained 33% of the variance of perceived stress in retired veterans, 19% of which was perceived social support, 14% was related to the psychological hardiness variable. Perceived social support (β = -0.22) was also seen as a stronger variable for predicting the perceived stress of retired veterans (p <0.05). Also, two variables of perceived social support and psychological hardiness explained 49% of the aggression variance of retired veterans, of which 21% were perceived social support, 28% was related to the psychological hardiness variable. Also, psychological hardiness (β = -0.28) was a stronger variable for predicting aggression of retired veterans (p <0.05).

According to the results of this study, there was a significant negative correlation between perceived stress and perceived social support and psychological hardiness, and the perceived stress of retired veterans was predictable by perceived social support and psychological hardiness. This finding is consistent with previous findings. Anvari and Madanello showed that social support reduces the amount of stress and anxiety [48, 49]. Pourmardann and Ghaffari also showed that there is a significant relationship between psychological hardiness and perceived stress in war veterans. Also, the results of the variable of psychological hardiness can predict perceived stress in veterans [30]. Johari and Bazrafkan also concluded that psychological hardiness has a negative relationship with perceived stress [49, 50]. Harizlavi found that there is a significant relationship between stress and variables of perceived organizational support and psychological hardiness [51]. Madi showed that individuals with psychological hardiness perform better during stressful events [52]. Sooderstrom et al showed that hardiness and coping strategies predict perceived stress [53]. ... [54]. Another finding of the present study was to investigate the role of perceived social support and psychological hardiness in the aggression of retired veterans. There was a negative and significant correlation between perceived social support and psychological hardiness with aggression and the aggression of retired veterans was predictable by perceived social support and psychological hardiness. This finding is consistent with Mirzai and Najafi's research [55, 56]. Mirzai showed that social support has a significant effect on the reduction of aggression [55]. In the study of Najafi, psychological hardiness was inversely correlated with aggression, crime, social problems and being isolated [56].

It is suggested to next researchers increase the possibility of generalizability of data by using other tools other than the questionnaire in collecting data and by examining other causative relationships using other research methods such as cross-sectional and longitudinal methods. Ultimately, research, educational, communication and welfare measures are essential in order to help the elderly and retired veterans to confront the stressors of this period. Accordingly, it is suggested that other research be conducted in quantitative and qualitative ways on the psychological, family and social challenges of this stratum and the provision of effective strategies.

One of the limitations of this research is the research method, which can limit the determination of causal relationship between the independent and dependent variables of research.

There is a correlation between perceived social support and psychological hardiness with perceived stress and the degree of aggression of retired veterans, in the way that perceived social support and psychological hardiness have an effective role in reducing the stress and aggression of retired veterans and are considered as effective moderating factors in stress and aggression.

This research was carried out in the form of a research on war veterans in Bijar city with the permission of the Foundation of the Martyrs and Veterans Affairs in that city. We thank all the proud veterans and the honorable officials of the Foundation of the Martyrs and Veterans Affairs of the city of Bijar who participated in this research.

Non-declared

Before completing the questionnaire, all participants were satisfied with the research.

The source of this research is personalized.

TABLES and CHARTS

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