SOCIAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURES AND ESSENCES OF QUALITY OF LIFE: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

Main aim of this research is to understand and describe social quality of life of the veterans exposed to chemical weapons as vulnerable group of the society. The approach of this study is descriptive phenomenology and the study population includes all veterans exposed to chemical weapons in Tehran. The sampling method is purposive sampling. Nine In-depth-Interviews were conducted and the qualitative data were analyzed using Colaizzi proposed method. The finding showed that some of the problems in relationships between individuals, lack of understanding among some people of special conditions of veterans exposed to chemical weapons, conflict between medical team and veterans exposed to chemical weapons, social exclusion, lack of social participations, problem related to employment, education and marriage, all threaten their social health and decrease the quality of their life. Results of this study have clearly showed that there is still shadow of war above life of veterans exposed to chemical weapons. War has had undesired and devastating effects on people's health and welfare. As social intervention, it is possible to focus on intervention of clinical sociologist as advisors of the veterans exposed to chemical weapons and their families, as someone who develop plan of treatment and also those who are responsible to teach in hospital.