ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Descriptive & Survey Study

Authors

Asghari   F. (*)
Sayadi   A. (1)
Saadat   S. (2)
Rashidi   E. (3)






(*) Counseling Department, Literature & Human Sciences Faculty, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
(1) Counseling Department, Literature & Human Sciences Faculty, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
(2) Counseling Department, Educational Sciences & Psychology Faculty, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
(3) Janbazan Medical and Engineering Research Center (JMERC), Tehran, Iran

Correspondence

Address: Department of Educational Sciences and Counseling, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, University of Guilan, Kilometer 6 of Tehran Road, Rasht, Iran. P.O. Box: 41635-3988
Phone: +981336690385
Fax: +981336690289
farhad.asghari@gmail.com

Article History

Received:  May  22, 2015
Accepted:  August 10, 2015
ePublished:  August 25, 2015

BRIEF TEXT


… [1, 2] Coping with cynicism, planning healthy entertainment, diabetes control, and depression control are some of the veterans’ needs [3]. … [4, 5]

There are hugely anxiety disorders and mutual relationships disorders in the veterans’ family [6]. Some remaining disorders and diseases in the veterans with chemical injuries affect their quality of life [7]. Sleep disorders have been reported in some veterans, which might lead to dementia [8].

The aim of this study was to prioritize the requirements of the veterans with less than 25% injuries from their own and their wives’ viewpoints in Gilan Province (Iran).

This is a combined study with exploratory and need-assessment design.

Veterans with less than 25% injuries and their views were studied in Gilan Province (Iran) in 2014.

Based on Krejcie and Morgan Table [9], 384 veterans with less than 25% injuries and 141 spouses were selected.

Regarding assessment techniques such as Kaufman-Corrigan-Johnson Three Dimensional Technique, at the first stage, Opened-answer Questionnaire was used to make a tool. At the second stage, a descriptive cross-sectional method was used. Inclusion criteria included literacy, less than 25% injuries, and maximum 60 years old. The opened-answer questionnaire was designed to identify the veterans and their family’s needs. Interviews with the veterans, their family members, their physicians, and the authorities of Veterans and Martyrs Foundation were compiled to enhance the findings and identifying the veterans’ needs. Based on content analysis and categorizing the consequences of the interviews, a 40-question questionnaire was compiled in Likerts’ 5-scale to evaluate the needs and mechanism to respond them. Its validity was confirmed by experts of Counseling and Social Sciences Department of Gilan University and 30 veterans with less than 25% injuries. The questionnaire having been experimentally distributed between 30 veterans with less than 25% injuries, Cronbach’s Alpha was computed 0.88. The final questionnaire with 31 questions was compiled based on Likert’s Scale from “fully agree” (5) to “completely disagree” (1) including 7 sub-scales as “medical and treatment needs”, “physical needs”, “psychological needs”, “economic needs”, “job needs”, “educational needs”, and “mechanisms to respond the needs”. Data was analyzed, using SPSS 21 software and Descriptive Statistics. The raw scores were transformed to Z Standard Scores, to provide the circumstances to compare the ranks through the scale. Then, Friedman Non-parametric Test was used to compare the priority of the needs.

Table 1 shows the statistical mean values of medical, physical, psychological, economic, job, and educational needs of the veterans and their wives. Psychological, educational, economic, job, physical, and medical needs were successively the veterans’ highest-to-lowest priorities. Job, economic, psychological, educational, medical, and physical needs were successively the spouses’ highest-to-lowest priorities (Table 2). There was a significant difference between the need priorities in veterans and their spouses. Injury percentage reviewing, identifying the veterans’ problems, and state helps to make occupational positions for their children were the highest-to-lowest priorities for systematic problem-solving from the viewpoints of the veterans and their spouses (Table 3). There was a significant difference between the veterans’ viewpoints in prioritizing the systematic problem-solving methods. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference between the spouses’ viewpoints in prioritizing the systematic problem-solving methods. There was a significant difference in the total sample in prioritizing the systematic problem-solving methods.

Psychological, educational, economic, job, physical, and medical needs were successively the most important needs of the veterans. However, job, economic, psychological, educational, medical, and physical needs were successively the most important needs of the spouses. There was a significant difference between the veterans and the spouses in prioritizing the needs. About 75% of the veterans are not depressed, but 41% of them need consultation and, even, treatment. 55.6% of them are without anxiety, 15.5% are with moderate anxiety, and 16.5% are with severe anxiety and need consultation and psychological services [10]. Providing proper training and services, as well as supporting the veterans’ spouses, might be regarded as the most important factor enhancing the family health [11], which is consistent with the present results. There is a reverse and significant correlation between economic-social activities of the veterans and depression [10]. Providing more psychological health protection and physical problems treatment are the main priorities of the veterans [12]. There are different emotional, social, economic, and medical unfulfilled needs in the veterans [13]. There is a positive correlation between providing fundamental psychological needs and general health of the veterans. In addition, providing autonomy and competence needs positively predict general health [14], which are consistent with the present results. Some special interventions should be done to enhance the veterans’ psychological and physical health [15]. There are significant and positive correlations between PTSD and disability to perform job responsibilities, family functions, socializing, daily activities, negative emotions, and quality of life in the veterans [16]. There are high levels of physical symptoms, anxiety, nightmares, unfavorable social activities, and depression in the spouses of veterans with PTSD. In addition, the spouses feel less connection to family and low life expectancy, significantly conflict with their families, and have weak self-concept [17]. There are more severe physical disorders and weaker psychological health in the spouses of the veterans with PTSD than the spouses of the veterans without PTSD [18]. Oral lesions of the veterans with chemical injuries should be significantly considered [19]. Feeling general health in 15-18 years old female and male children of the Iranian veterans are 64% and 72.2%, respectively. In addition, children whose fathers are with psychological injuries feel less healthy. As well, adolescents of Gilan Province feel less healthy than other Iranian Provinces [20]. There are strong correlations between the veterans’ social-economic activities and important psychological factors such as depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. In addition, there are considerable correlation between motivation, progress, and psychological health criterion in the veterans [21].

The limitations of the present study should be removed in the future studies.

No former study about the need assessment of the veterans with less than 25% injuries, no participation of all the spouses, no assessment of the veterans and their families’ psychological and physical health levels, no accurate assessment of job status and family economics of the veterans, no accurate assessment of the medical history of the veterans and their families, time limitation, and cross sectional and provincial study were of the limitations for the present study.

The common mechanisms for providing the needs of the veterans with less than 25% injuries are reviewing the injury percentage, identifying and considering the veterans’ problems, and state helps to make job positions for their children.

Gilan Martyrs and Veterans Foundation and the veterans and their spouses are appreciated.

Non-declared

The subjects were assured of confidentiality of the results of the questionnaires.

The study was funded by Gilan Martyrs and Veterans Foundation.

TABLES and CHARTS

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