ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Descriptive & Survey Study

Authors

Soleymani   Sh. (1)
Shaker Dioulagh   A. (* )






(* ) Psychology Department, Humanities Faculty, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azd University, Urmia, Iran
(1) Psychology Department, Humanities Faculty, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azd University, Urmia, Iran

Correspondence

Article History

Received:  November  12, 2016
Accepted:  January 18, 2017
ePublished:  April 24, 2017

BRIEF TEXT


… [1-6].After facing with war and chemical weapons, war veterans suffer severe psychological reactions. One of the common psychological complications of anxiety is anxiety of death [7]. … [8-11].The morbid attitudes toward death are debatable in three respects: death anxiety, death depression and death obsession [12]. … [13].

… [14, 15]. In a research, the common psychiatric disorders of the chemical veterans were examined and the results indicated an increased prevalence of anxiety disorders, depression, physical dysfunction, and impairing psychiatric pressure disorder [16]. Results from outside of Iran, also, showed that the prevalence of depression and severity of depression were higher in chemical veterans than in non-chemical veterans [17]. The results of a study on the relationship between mustard gas and psychological complications in the United States showed that most common complications are long-term mood disorders and anxiety disorders [18]…[19, 20].

This study was conducted to compare the anxiety and depression of death in chemical and non-chemical veterans of Sardasht City.

This descriptive study is of causal-comparative type.

In 2016, this field study was conducted among all chemical and non-chemical veterans of Sardasht City

Using convenience sampling method, 50 chemical veterans and 50 non-chemical veterans were selected.

Research instruments were the Death Anxiety Scale and the Death Depression Questionnaire. … [21]. Death Anxiety Scale (DAS): This scale was made by Templer in 1970. In a study, the internal consistency of the questionnaire was 0.76, and its reliability was reported 0.83 using test-retest method [22]. Also, in Spanish translation, its internal consistency and retest reliability were obtained 0.73 and 0.87 respectively which indicates the high internal validity of this questionnaire [23]. In a study, the reliability of this questionnaire was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha and split-half methods that the obtained results were 0.65 and 0.78 respectively indicating the acceptable reliability of this tool [9]. Depression Death Questionnaire: This questionnaire was developed by Templer et al. in 1990. The studies regarding the validity and reliability of Depth Depression Questionnaire show that this scale has acceptable validity. Templer et al. have reported the optimal validity and reliability coefficients for this scale [24]. In a study that standardized the Depression Death Questionnaire, this scales was categorized in four factors of death despair, death failure, death loneliness, and death admission [24]. In a study Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the subscales of death despair, death failure, death loneliness, death admission, and the total death depression scale were reported 0.62, 0.65, 0.59, 0.34 and 0.78 respectively, and the validity of the mentioned questionnaire was also desirable [24]. SPSS 16 software was used to analyze the data. The Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to determine the difference between the rates of death depression and independent T-test for calculating the difference in death anxiety among veterans. Data was analyzed using SPSS 16 statistical software.

Mean score of death anxiety in chemical veterans was significantly higher than non-chemical veterans (p<0.05). The mean scores of the subscales of death despair, death failure, and total score of death depression, were also significantly higher in chemical veterans than in non-chemical veterans (p<0.05). However, the mean scores of subscales of loneliness and death admission were not significantly different between two groups (p>0.05; Table 1).

During the war, veterans suffered from many stresses such as blood scenes and death, destruction, explosions and their effects, toxic effects of substances and chemical gases on the central nervous system, and other organs, the effects of explosion wave and the effects of various traumas. At times after the end of the war, also, they have experienced the physical and mental effects of disabilities, the movement limitations, the complications of diseases caused by disabilities and the long-term physical and chemical complications [25]. In the first hypothesis, death anxiety was investigated among chemical and non-chemical veterans. Based on the results, a significant difference was observed between the two groups. It was seen that death anxiety in the chemical veterans was more than non-chemical veterans. In the second hypothesis, death depression was investigated and compared in chemical and non-chemical veterans. Based on the results, there was a significant difference between the two groups in the demographic variables of death despair, death failure, and total score of death depression. This test showed that in general, chemical veterans suffer from death depression more than non-chemical veterans.

It is suggested that in future research projects, this study be carried out in other geographical regions and different cultures and if possible, be conducted on larger sample size. Also, it is suggested that other variables such as inefficient schemes, loneliness, attachment styles, personality traits and mood disorders be studied.

Of the limitations of this study, the use of convenience sampling, the mere using of questionnaire as the only tool for collecting information, and completing of some of the questionnaires by the researcher and probability of bias, no investigation of other mental disorders, and no investigation of social and economic support, marital status, and life quality can be mentioned.

The levels of death anxiety and depression in chemical veterans are higher than in non-chemical veterans in Sardasht City.

Without the cooperation of honorable veterans and their families, this study was not possible. Therefore, we would like to express our thanks to them.

Non-declared.

In the beginning, the satisfaction of the veterans and their families for participating in this study was gained, and the participants were given the information about the purpose of the research; the participants were ensured that the results were confidential.

Non-declared

TABLES and CHARTS

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