Shortly after gulf war (G.W) thousands of war veterans referred with sign and symptoms of an unknown disease called G.W Illness. Despite multiple studies undertaken by several non-governmental and governmental centers this Illness remains unclassified and can not be coded by international classification of disease (I.C.D). The etiology has not been found and the Illness appears to be multifactorial and basically related to use of depleted uranium (D.U) weapons, chemical warfare (C.W) and biological agents. This article reviews this Illness and the adverse effects of D.U and B.c.W agents in the G.W battlefields.

Objectives: In this study we tried to assess and compare the Illness Perception of breast cancer in patients, families, normal population and nurses of chemotherapy section. The main objectives of this project is to determine the dimensions of breast cancer Perception in the above four groups. Method: In this cross-sectional study, 225 subjects were assessed: 65 women with breast cancer from Cancer Institute, 65 relatives, 70 normal subjects who were matched with patient group and 25 nurses from chemotherapy section. Three questioners completed the IPQ-R questionnaire which included nine aspects of breast cancer Perception. Results: Breast cancer Perception in normal group is significantly different from patients and their families. Their beliefs about timeline were more negative than family group, and both of them were more negative than patients. Also, the family group considered the effects and consequences of the disease more negatively than patients. On the other hand, the normal group attitudes toward curability are more negative than family and patient groups. The nurse’s views about breast cancer in terms of the number of symptoms, timeline of disease, treatment control, and the causes of cancer were different from patient group. Regarding the four subscales of causes, there were significant differences between normal subjects on one hand and family/patient groups, on the other hand. These differences were about the psychological, internal, causal attributions and chance beliefs. Normal subjects had weaker beliefs about psychological and chance causes and more strong believe about internal causal attributions. Conclusion: rceptions of breast cancer in patients is more positive than their relatives, general population and nurses. These Perceptions are more positive in patient’s relatives comparing to normal subjects or nurses.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the various aspects of Illness Perceptions about breast cancer in affected patients.Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolled 140 patients with breast cancer in their chemotherapy period within 14 months. The revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (revised IPQ) was used to assess the disease representations of breast cancer. The data were analyzed by SPSS v.18 software.Results: The mean age of participants was 49.3±10.3 years. There was no significant correlation among the various items of Illness Perception of breast cancer in the affected patients with the demographic and clinicopathologic stages of the disease (P>0.05). The present study explored breast cancer to identity component 2.1 (less symptoms attributed to cancer), timeline component 2.86 (encountered to a acute Illness), treatment control 3.21 (less therapeutic belief), Illness coherence 3.29 (less knowledge about cancer), serious consequences 2.79 (not attributing too much grave results), personal control 3.43 (Illness controllable by the personal measures) and emotional representations 2.90 (emotionally good). Also most of our patients attributed stress as the cause of breast cancer (93.6%).The internal consistency of revised IPQ was 0.84 (Cronbach alpha).Conclusion: The patients affected with breast cancer perceived their Illness to be short with better personal controllability. They had optimistic views towards the personal, familial and social implications of their Illness.Also our patients showed less distress, anger and disappointment while being less optimistic about the treatment modalities and less coherent about their Illness.

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between Illness Perception and coping strategies in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. It was conducted by survey and cross-sectional methods. Data was collected from 146 outpatients with confirmed RA who were admitted by two centers of RA between 27th July and 27th August 2005 in Isfahan. These patients were selected by stratified sampling. They then responded to Standardized Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ) and Coping strategies Questionnaire (CSQ). The results showed significant correlation between Illness Perception and coping strategies, and among some components of coping strategies and Illness Perception. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that components of Illness Perception explained 9.2% of the variance of coping strategies. The present study confirmed the validity of Self-Regulation Model in explanation and prediction of RA patient's Illness behavior and their coping strategies with RA.

Background & Aim: End-stage renal disease and hemodialysis dependence affect all aspect of patients’ life and bring them different experiences. The aim of the present study is to explore the Perception of Illness in hemodialysis patients. Materials & Methods: This qualitative research was conducted, using inductive and conventional qualitative content analysis approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interview with 21 patients in the hemodialysis ward of Valiasr hospital, selected by purposeful sampling. All interviews were performed by one researcher within two months. Each interview lasted 40 minutes. The data were analyzed along with data collection process. Results: During the data analysis process, five categories were extracted, i. e. disabling complications of disease, hopelessness, life dissatisfaction, the sense of dependence, and turbulent thoughts. “ Helplessness caused by the disease” was emerged as the theme of this research. Conclusion: The findings of this research showed that hemodialysis patients often encounter unpleasant experiences, leading to helplessness and a decreased quality and hope of life. Therefore, the physicians and nurses of hemodialysis ward should pay more attention to the problems of these patients.

2Aim and Background: Chronic Illnesses exert long-lasting impacts on an individual's life. Throughout this journey, a person's Perception of their Illness directly influences their health behaviors and outcomes. Recognizing the significance of this concept, this study aimed to explore the Perception of Illness among individuals with chronic diseases. Methods and Materials: Published qualitative studies focusing on Illness Perception from 2019 to 2024 were collected from international databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Sciencedirect, and domestic databases like Sid, Noormags, Elmnet, and Magiran. After a thorough review of full-text articles, those aligning with the research objectives were selected. Following the examination of titles, abstracts, full texts, and the removal of duplicate studies, a total of 29 full-text studies, 19 in English and 10 in Persian, were chosen for in-depth analysis and comparison using an interpretive approach. Findings: Two main categories emerged from the selected studies: 1) Illness Perception and influencing individual factors, and 2) Illness Perception and influencing socio-cultural factors. The first category, encompassing Illness Perception and individual influencing factors, included: experiencing emotions, patient needs, controllability and consequences of the Illness, impact on quality of life, beliefs about the causes of the Illness, spiritual beliefs related to the Illness, the dilemma of disclosing or concealing the Illness and its consequences, Illness as an opportunity for growth, limited knowledge about the Illness and its consequences, positive and negative views towards treatment, and defense mechanisms in coping with the Illness. The second category, Illness Perception and influencing socio-cultural factors, included identity (gender, religious, national, cultural, etc.) in coping with Illness. Conclusions: Illness Perception is a significant factor in the diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment adherence of patients. Individual and socio-cultural factors drive individuals' perspectives on themselves, their Illness, family history, and identity.