Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Marziye Mansouri Gandomani ¹
• Reza Pourhosein ²
• Keyvan Salehi ³
• Zahra Vahabi ⁴

¹ Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

² Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

³ Department of Educational Administration and Planning, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

⁴ Department of Geriatric Medicine, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify the social factors that influence the caregiving experiences of family caregivers of individuals with dementia in the Iranian context. This was achieved through the use of a constructivist grounded theory methodology and a qualitative approach. Iranian family caregivers of individuals with dementia with a minimum of six months of experience comprised the study population. In 2025, 13 caregivers (10 women and 3 men), five from Tehran and eight from other cities, participated in data collection in Tehran. Purposive sampling with inclusion criteria was employed at the outset, and as the analysis progressed, theoretical sampling was subsequently used to develop the emerging categories. Semi-structured interviews were implemented to accumulate data. Data were manually analyzed in accordance with Charmaz’s methodology, concurrently with data collection, through initial and focused coding, and continued until category development, conceptual categorization, and theoretical saturation. The development of two primary categories and five subcategories was the result of the conceptual classification of the findings. The category “Caregiving experience within inhibiting social interactions” included subcategories of “exposure to distressing reactions and inappropriate social interference”, “gradual loss of social ties”, and “caregiving loneliness due to minimal involvement of others”. The category “Caregiving experience within inhibiting social interactions” included the subcategories of “social reactions as a source of strengthening resilience and meaning” and “sharing the caregiving burden with others.” These results indicate that caregiving is influenced by the social context in which it is performed, and that Iranian society can either facilitate or impede this process. This is a critical aspect that should be considered in the context of psychoeducational interventions and policymaking.

Keywords

• Dementia
• Family Caregivers
• Grounded Theory
• Social Context
• Social Interactions