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Abstract

This qualitative research explores the effects of social support and psychological factors on diabetes mellitus (DM) among women. The rationale is that identifying these factors fosters behavioral amendments in patients with DM and eventually lessens the count of affected individuals. Data were gathered through observations and semi-structured interviews with DM patients who were referred to the Iranian Diabetes Association (IDS) and the clinic of IDS’s head Professor Assadollah Rajab. The interviewees were chosen through the purposive sampling method, and data obtained from 38 interviews were analyzed through thematic analysis. The study identified various social factors that influence DM incidence and control. These factors were classified as “social support” or “psychological factors”, each covering distinct sub-categories and concepts. In the social support category, factors such as instrumental support, emotional support, and informational support had a more noticeable effect on DM patients. Concerning the psychological aspect of social factors, the study identified social factors that often affect the emotional and psychological aspects of DM patients like personal readiness, effects of IDS's training courses on effective awareness, the patient’s attitude about DM, types of stress, patients' problems, and women's personal problems‎‎.