Journal of Qualitative Research in Health Sciences

Authors

Abstract

Introduction: Happiness is the amount of positive value that a person considers it for him/herself. Happiness is the common goal of all human beings; so that all human efforts will be done to get it, and it has changed to an important issue in human life at recent decades. Present study aimed to assess students' experiences of happiness phenomenon in Iran University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Method: This qualitative study was done in 2015 using phenomenological method. The number of participants was 12; the data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using Colaizzi 7-step technique.
Results: After considering and analyzing the data, 219 themes, 10 subthemes, and 3 main themes were extracted. The main categories included "goals achievement", "social ties", and "the ravages of life". Participants gained happiness through the process of social life and meanwhile declared basic individual efforts to achieve desires and happiness. They also suffered from some ravages and life destructive changes such as inappropriate welfare status, and encountered uncertain future.
Conclusion: Considering particular importance of social aspect of gaining happiness, and the effect of welfare status on it, preparing appropriate educational policy for students and planning to improve their economic conditions to increase happiness are of great importance.

Keywords

1- Seligman, M. E. P. Positive psychology: An introduction. Psychologist 2001; 55: 5- 14. 2- Buss D.M. The evolution of happiness. American Psychologist 2000; 55: 15 -23. 3- Access in: www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/docs/Happiness.pdf. 4- Sheldon, K. M., Lyumbomirsky S. Achieving Sustainable New Happiness: Prospects, Practice and Prescriptions. In P. A., Linley, & S. Joseph. Positive Psychology in Practice. John Wiley. Hoboken, New Jersey, 2004. 5- Argyle M. The Psychology of Happiness, Routledge publisher, 2nd Ed, 2001. 6- Helliwell J and Et al. World Happiness report. Columbia University, 2015. 7- Hills, P،, & Argyle, M. Emotional Stability as a major dimension of happiness، Personality and Individual Differences 2001; 31. 8- Chamorro-Premuzic, T،, Bennett, B، & Furnham, A. The happy personality: Meditational role of trait emotional intelligence، Personality and Individual Differences 2007; 42. 9- Myers, D، G. Psychology. 6th Ed، New York: Worth Publishing; 2001. 10- Murphy, G،C،, & Athanasoud, J، A. The effect of unemployment on mental health، Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 1999; 72: 83-99. 11- Peir´o, P. Happiness, satisfaction and socio-economic conditions: Some international evidence. The Journal of Socio- Economics 2006; 35: 348–365. 12- Mookerjee, R, & Beron, K. Gender. Religion and happiness. The Journal of Socio-Economics 2005; 34. 13- Lelkes, O. Tasting freedom: Happiness, religion and economic transition. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 2006; 59: 173– 194. 14- Argyle, M. The Social psychology of leisure، London: Rutledge, 1996. 15- Myers DG. Happiness, excerpted from Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers: 7th Ed, 2004. 16- Argyle, M. The psychology of Happiness. London, Rutledge, 2001. 17- Eysenck, Michael W. Happiness, facts and myths. Translated by Firooz bakht and Beigi. Tehran: Badr publication, 2007. (In Persian). 18- Keshavarzian A, Vafayean M. Investigation effective factors on Happiness. Journal of Applied Psychology 2007; 2(5): 51-62. (In Persian). 19- Keshavarz A, Molavi H and Kalantari M. The relationship between vitality and demographic variables with happiness in Isfahan population. Journal of Psychological Studies 2009; 4(4): 45-64. (In Persian). 20- Neshat Doost H.T, Mehrabi H.A, Nouri N, Kalantari M, Palahang H & Soltani I. Predicting Factors of Happiness in Mobarekeh Steal Company Personnel. Journal of applied sociology 2009; 20(33): 105-118. (In Persian). 21- Danesh E. A comparison of happiness, physical and mental health in male and female students' married and single of university. Journal of applied Psychology 2010; 4(16): 56-71. (In Persian). 22- Montazeri, A & et al. Happiness and effective factors on it. Journal of PAYESH 2012; 11(4): 468-475. (In Persian). 23- Ahadi H, Bagheri N. Factors Influencing the Happiness of Students. Journal of Thought & Behavior in Clinical Psychology 2012; 6(24): 69-78. 24- Haller, M & Hadler, M. How Social Relations and Structures can Produce Happiness and Unhappiness: An International Comparative Analysis. Social Indicators Research 2006; 75: 169-216. 25- Dolan, P & et al. Do we really know what makes us happy? A review of the economic literature on the factors associated with subjective well-being. Journal of Economic Psychology 2007; Available in www.weincedrit.com. 26- Mogilner, C. The pursuit of happiness time, money and social connection. Psycholigical Sciences, 2010.