Mr Mojtaba Hafezi, Dr Masoud Janbozorgi, Dr Masoud Azarbayejani,
Volume 25, Issue 97 (5-2026)
Abstract
Objective: This study was conducted to examine the lived experience of factors sustaining distress after romantic breakup in female and male individuals who had experienced romantic breakup within the cultural context of Iran. Method: This research was carried out with a qualitative approach and relied on the method of content analysis of Bengtsson (2016). The research population comprised all men and women residing in Qom who had experienced romantic breakup. By adopting purposeful sampling with maximum variation and observing the principle of saturation, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants (10 women and 5 men). The data analysis process was carried out in four steps of decontextualisation, recontextualisation, categorisation and the compilation. To ensure the obtained results, the four criteria credibility, confirmability, transferability and dependability were analysed based on the standards of Lincoln & Guba. To achieve the dependability criterion, 10 experts confirmed the accuracy of the findings by calculating the content validity index (CVI). Results: The findings of the study showed that the factors sustaining distress after romantic breakup include 14 sub-categories, 2 categories and 1 theme. These factors comprise sustaining reactions (not cutting contact, insisting on meeting again, pursuing the romantic partner, frequent returning to reminder triggers, social withdrawal and inactivity, self-harm and low social support) and sustaining cognitions (conflicting spiritual cognitions, conflicting personal cognitions, rumination about causal attribution, self-blame, hope for the return of the relationship, suppression of thoughts and feelings, and thoughts of meaninglessness and emptiness). Conclusion: The findings of this study provide a foundation for the development of culturally grounded counseling and therapeutic interventions, applicable in counseling centers and psychological services, with the aim of reducing the clinical symptoms associated with romantic breakup.
