An Investigation of the Relationship between Culture (Individualism – Collectivism) with Stress and Attachment among the Veterans’ Caregivers in the City of Tabriz in 2015

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Following any war, mental disorders are seen among the soldiers and their families. The post-war anxieties in these families are among these disorders. Race and culture have a crucial role in the level of stress. Culture can also affect the discernment of stress and its counter-measures in the assessment of the stressful events. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between stress and the individualism-collectivism culture among the caregivers of the veterans who are a member of the veteran’s family.

Materials and methods: This study is descriptive and correlational. The target population comprises of the veterans’ caregivers in the city of Tabriz. With regard to Cochran’s formula, 360 caregivers who visited Fajr Clinic located in Tabriz were randomly selected from approximately 6000 veteran care-givers. To collect the data, the questionnaire of the demographic information record, Cohen and Williamson stress assessment questionnaire and Aukland individualism-collectivism cultural questionnaire have been used and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the regression statistical test. The findings: there is a significant relationship between both of the dimensions of the individualism and collectivism culture and stress within the youth age group (p< 0.05). The young individuals who have an individualistic culture have less stress and the young individuals who have a collectivistic culture have more stress. Within the adult age group, there is a direct and significant relationship between individualism and stress (p< 0.05) which means that the adult age group that has an individualistic culture experiences more stress while no relationship was found between a collectivistic culture and stress in the adult age group (P> 0.05). Discussion and conclusion: with regard to the findings of this study, the veterans’ caregivers between the age of 15 to 44 have a more individualistic culture whereas the caregivers between the age of 45 to 78 have a more collectivistic culture. This finding shows that if young caregivers give priority to individual beliefs and independence, they will experience less stress and the young individuals who are in charge of the group will have more stress. If adult caregivers are in charge of the group, they will arguably experience less stress