[ relationship between type of pet ownning and pet owner personality and mental health care]

Due to conflicts in the results of previous studies comparing the mental health and personality characteristics of pet owners and non-pet owners, and because of the lack of similar research in the Iranian society, this study was conducted to compare the mental health and personality characteristics of pet owners and non-pet owners. The test group consisted of 400 individuals who referred to the veterinary clinic of the University of Tehran in a 12-month period, and 100 non-pet owners as a control group that were matched based on sex and age with the owners. The International Personality Item Pool [IPIP] and General Mental Health Questionnaire [GHQ- 28] were applied for data collection. Data analysis, using multivariate analysis of variance showed that all groups of pet owners were less open to experience than control group members. Furthermore, mental health problems were observed at a higher frequency in pet owners. Therefore, it was concluded that the causes and conditions of pet ownership in the Iranian culture could be different from those in other cultures

Evaluating stigma among infertile men and women in Iran

Psycho-social aspects of physical disability may create more problems for the individual than the disability itself. The infertile may suffer from misjudgments or prejudices in different situations by their colleagues and relatives. All factors for this suffering can be evaluated in stigma settings which the infertile confront. In addition to these pathological settings, there are some opportunities which infertile people can enjoy for more adaptations with their social environments. The objective of this study was to become familiarized with different aspects of psycho- social life of the in fertile in the setting of Iranian culture. 268 fertile and infertile subjects were involved in this study from two different regions of Iran. Through a considerable number of interviews with infertile individuals in the pilot study, the styles of social interaction with people and also positive and negative constructs related to their social lives were recognized. Utilizing a suitable instrument [Repertory grid] and factor analysis of scores, disability factors concerning social aspects of infertility were discovered. Moreover, regression analysis and t-test [p<.05] were used for the analysis of the data. The statistical analysis including t-test, factor and regression analyses indicated that social comparison, as one of the sources for self, has an imminent role in the prediction of psychosocial adjustment of infertile individuals. Meanwhile, the infertile women showed more negative views in the elements "comparison with fertile people" and "my view toward infertility" but both fertile and infertile subjects did not show any significant differences in psychosocial adjustments. From the three sources of self-knowledge, social comparison, social feedback and self-observation, social comparison plays the first role and social feedback the second in the construction of stigma among infertile people. The results of this study showed the necessity of a health-oriented approach in the evaluation of psycho-social aspects of physical disability among infertile people and also the necessity of modifying and equalizing the functions of the three sources of self-knowledge through group therapy sessions