Designing the Model of Factors Affecting the Physical and Psychological Damage of Iranian Captives in Iraqi Camps and Harm Reduction Strategies

Scientific documentation of the experiences of Iran-Iraq war in different aspects and their uses in the same conditions are undeniable. The captivity of the Iranian prisoners in the Iraqi prison camps is to be studied in different dimensions. One of these dimensions is the issue of mental and physical health of prisoners during their captivity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to design a model of factors affecting the physical and psychological damage of Iranian captives and methods of prevention and treatment in Iraqi camps.
Participants and This descriptive-survey study was conducted in Semnan from the early 2016 to late 2017. The data were collected, using examining the documents and books published about the prisoners of war (POW), as well as some semi-structured interviews with 20 prisoners to reach main results. The interviewees were selected through a decision making process of those strategic leaders, cultural activists at the time of captivity, and camp administrators. The data were analyzed, using content analysis method and the research model was so designed. The designed model had 5 sections, including the effective factors causing physical and psychological injuries, the role of strategic leaders, the role of Red Cross forces, the cultural-scientific programs, and the sports programs. The components, model elements, and their relationships were confirmed by the participants. The prisoners' cultural and sports activities in the Iraqi camps have many positive effects, including increasing the patience of the prisoners, increasing their physical and mental health and their social health level, increasing their freshness, happiness, feeling of trust, concentration and accuracy, and reduction of depression.