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Biography [eng]

Saeid Zandi, Ph.D. in Counseling, is a Research Affiliate at the Department of Social Work and Criminology, Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, Sweden. His main research interests lie in the fields of positive psychology, cultural-historical psychology, cross-cultural psychology, and cultural analysis. In addition, he has conducted research on industrial and organizational psychology, family/career counseling, meaning-making coping, moral psychology, and psychology of religion and spirituality.

Publications (10 of 20) Show all publications
Zandi, S., Esmaeili, M. & Farahbakhsh, K. (2024). Individual and Contextual Factors Associated With the Prevention of Corruption: A Qualitative Study Among Iranian Public Employees. Journal of Theoretical Social Psychology, 2024(1), Article ID 9971954.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Individual and Contextual Factors Associated With the Prevention of Corruption: A Qualitative Study Among Iranian Public Employees
2024 (English)In: Journal of Theoretical Social Psychology, ISSN 2475-0387, Vol. 2024, no 1, article id 9971954Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Background: Little research has been done to identify the individual-level factors contributing to the prevention of administrative corruption. Specifically, Iranian public employees are an understudied population in terms of individual and contextual factors that contribute to the prevention of administrative corruption. This study aimed to identify the perception of public servants about the psychosocial factors that facilitate the prevention of corruption.

Method: Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 14 individuals working in public sector departments or agencies in Tehran.

Results: Six main themes emerged from the data: cognitive characteristics (including “detachment-promoting thoughts and beliefs” and “consequence-focused thoughts and beliefs”), emotional patterns (including “deterrent negative emotions” and “deterrent positive emotions”), personality characteristics (including “self-oriented conservative personality traits” and “other-oriented prosocial personality traits”), behavioral strategies (including “need-fulfillment strategies” and “self-care strategies”), familial background (including “growing up in a rule-oriented and value-oriented family” and “living with an honest and supportive spouse”), and organizational context (including “employee monitoring” and “rule-based and ethical space of the organization”).

Conclusion: The study reveals some psychological and contextual factors that could be involved in preventing administrative corruption in Iran. These factors can be taken into consideration when designing preventive measures and policies aimed at reducing corrupt behaviors in public agents and promoting ethics in public service.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
John Wiley & Sons, 2024
Keywords
administrative violations, control of corruption, ethics in public service, fight against corruption, occupational fraud, petty corruption, phenomenology of corruption, predictors of corruption, psychology of corruption, public corruption
National Category
Business Administration Work Sciences Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Public Administration Studies Psychology (excluding Applied Psychology) Social Psychology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-45890 (URN)10.1155/2024/9971954 (DOI)
Available from: 2024-10-28 Created: 2024-10-28 Last updated: 2024-10-30Bibliographically approved
Ahmadi, F., Zandi, S. & Poblete, M.-L. (2024). Religion, culture, and cancer: insights from a qualitative study on coping experiences of Filipino patients. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article ID 1457027.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Religion, culture, and cancer: insights from a qualitative study on coping experiences of Filipino patients
2024 (English)In: Frontiers in Psychology, E-ISSN 1664-1078, Vol. 15, article id 1457027Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Introduction: Meaning-making coping is used by people with cancer to help them deal with the stress and emotional turmoil associated with their diagnosis. It is a multifaceted approach that can be influenced by cultural, existential, and personal factors. Research on meaning-making coping among Filipinos diagnosed with cancer is sparse. This study examines how a sample of Filipino people with cancer cope with their illnesses.

Methods: We employed a qualitative approach. The study involved 20 participants with various types of cancer in the Philippines who were selected through purposive sampling and agreed to be interviewed.

Results: The thematic analysis of the interviews revealed the application of both religious and secular meaning-making coping by participants. The study also confirmed the potential influence of culture on coping strategies.

Discussion: The results indicate that religion plays a significant role in Filipino coping mechanisms, given that the Philippines is predominantly a Christian nation. Additionally, the findings highlight the importance of close family ties in Filipino culture and how it contributes to coping with cancer.

 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Frontiers, 2024
Keywords
cancer survivors, coping process, coping resources, coping strategies, faith, meaningmaking, religious coping, spirituality
National Category
Sociology
Research subject
Health-Promoting Work
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-45423 (URN)10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1457027 (DOI)001315630100001 ()39309155 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-8520467747 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2024-09-06 Created: 2024-09-06 Last updated: 2024-10-04Bibliographically approved
Zandi, S. & Ahmadi, F. (2024). Religious/Spiritual Coping and Secular Existential Coping. In: Pranee Liamputtong (Ed.), Handbook of Concepts in Health, Health Behavior and Environmental Health: (pp. 1-33). Springer
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Religious/Spiritual Coping and Secular Existential Coping
2024 (English)In: Handbook of Concepts in Health, Health Behavior and Environmental Health / [ed] Pranee Liamputtong, Springer, 2024, p. 1-33Chapter in book (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Understanding adjustment, coping processes, and various coping strategies is important for preserving and enhancing mental and physical well-being. This chapter reviews and discusses religious/spiritual coping and secular existential coping, their theoretical underpinnings, and their relation to health. Empirical studies conducted in a health-related context were highlighted to demonstrate how these coping strategies are employed in real-life practice. Further, we elaborated on the potential role of culture in individuals’ orientation toward these coping resources. Some possible areas for future research and a few implications for healthcare practitioners, palliative care professionals, and policymakers were outlined.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer, 2024
Keywords
Coping behavior, Coping strategies, Coping with illness, Health behavior, Health promotion, Meaning-making coping, Religious coping
National Category
Applied Psychology Social Work Social Psychology Psychology (excluding Applied Psychology) Health Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-45891 (URN)10.1007/978-981-97-0821-5_24-1 (DOI)978-981-97-0821-5 (ISBN)
Available from: 2024-10-28 Created: 2024-10-28 Last updated: 2024-10-30Bibliographically approved
Zandi, S., Esmaeili, M. & Farahbakhsh, K. (2024). Victims of Corruption Suffer Personal and Collective Loss: A Qualitative Study of Public Perceptions. Illness, crisis and loss
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Victims of Corruption Suffer Personal and Collective Loss: A Qualitative Study of Public Perceptions
2024 (English)In: Illness, crisis and loss, ISSN 1054-1373, E-ISSN 1552-6968Article in journal (Refereed) Epub ahead of print
Abstract [en]

This study aimed to identify citizens’ perceptions of the effects of administrative corruption on their lives. Data were gathered using semi-structured interviews with 15 citizens living in Tehran, Iran, recruited through the convenience sampling method. Two main themes emerged from the data: Negative individual consequences (including “negative emotional consequences”, “negative motivational consequences”, “negative moral and behavioural consequences” and “negative economic consequences”) and Negative collective consequences (including “negative consequences related to family formation and stability” and “negative social consequences”). The study reveals that participants have experienced or perceived adverse effects in the personal, family and social spheres as a result of administrative corruption. The impacts of corruption on people's lives can be taken into consideration when explaining the importance and necessity of designing and implementing preventive measures and policies aimed at reducing corrupt behaviours in public agents.

National Category
Psychology (excluding Applied Psychology)
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-43913 (URN)10.1177/10541373241234503 (DOI)
Available from: 2024-03-15 Created: 2024-03-15 Last updated: 2024-03-19Bibliographically approved
Zandi, S., Ahmadi, F., Cetrez, Ö. A. & Akhavan, S. (2023). Coping Orientation of Academic Community in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Pilot Multi-Country Survey Study. Illness, crisis and loss, 31(3), 504-524
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Coping Orientation of Academic Community in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Pilot Multi-Country Survey Study
2023 (English)In: Illness, crisis and loss, ISSN 1054-1373, E-ISSN 1552-6968, Vol. 31, no 3, p. 504-524Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

In this paper, we have mapped the coping methods used to address the coronavirus pandemic by members of the academic community. We conducted an anonymous survey of a convenient sample of 674 faculty/staff members and students from September to December 2020. A modified version of the RCOPE scale was used for data collection. The results indicate that both religious and existential coping methods were used by respondents. The study also indicates that even though 71% of informants believed in God or another religious figure, 61% reported that they had tried to gain control of the situation directly without the help of God or another religious figure. The ranking of the coping strategies used indicates that the first five methods used by informants were all non-religious coping methods (i.e., secular existential coping methods): regarding life as a part of a greater whole, regarding nature as an important resource, listening to the sound of surrounding nature, being alone and contemplating, and walking/engaging in any activities outdoors giving a spiritual feeling. Our results contribute to the new area of research on academic community's coping with pandemic-related stress and challenges.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Sage, 2023
Keywords
academic staff, academics, coping strategies, coronavirus epidemic, higher education
National Category
Sociology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-38508 (URN)10.1177/10541373221088391 (DOI)38603097 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85129135640 (Scopus ID)
Funder
University of Gävle, SFO-AHA-FA-2020
Available from: 2022-05-16 Created: 2022-05-16 Last updated: 2024-04-19Bibliographically approved
Khodayarifard, M., Pourhosein, R., Pakdaman, S. & Zandi, S. (2023). Iranian Children’s Drawings of God: Demographic and Contextual Considerations. In: Pierre-Yves Brandt, Zhargalma Dandarova-Robert, Christelle Cocco, Dominique Vinck, Frédéric Darbellay (Ed.), When Children Draw Gods: A Multicultural and Interdisciplinary Approach to Children's Representations of Supernatural Agents (pp. 325-361). Springer Publishing Company
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Iranian Children’s Drawings of God: Demographic and Contextual Considerations
2023 (English)In: When Children Draw Gods: A Multicultural and Interdisciplinary Approach to Children's Representations of Supernatural Agents / [ed] Pierre-Yves Brandt, Zhargalma Dandarova-Robert, Christelle Cocco, Dominique Vinck, Frédéric Darbellay, Springer Publishing Company, 2023, p. 325-361Chapter in book (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

In 2014, we collected more than 3000 drawings of God in Iran. Here we present the conditions for this collection and the results derived from it. We interpret our fndings from the perspective of developmental psychology, and discuss them in terms of social, cultural, and contextual factors (media, formal and informal education). We consider God representation with regard to Iranian-Islamic culture. Additionally, we make a brief comparison between our findings, drawn from participants in Iran, and the findings of studies conducted in Western cultures. Finally, limitations of the study and future research directions are critically discussed.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer Publishing Company, 2023
Series
New Approaches to the Scientific Study of Religion
Keywords
Culture, Developmental psychology, God representation, Religious development, Psychology of religion
National Category
Religious Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-41762 (URN)10.1007/978-3-030-94429-2_12 (DOI)978-3-030-94428-5 (ISBN)
Available from: 2023-05-14 Created: 2023-05-14 Last updated: 2023-05-15Bibliographically approved
Ahmadi, F., Zandi, S., Khodayarifard, M., Cetrez, Ö. A. & Akhavan, S. (2023). Job Satisfaction and Overcoming the Challenges of Teleworking in Times of COVID-19: A Pilot Study Among Iranian University Community. SAGE Open, 13(2), Article ID 21582440231173654.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Job Satisfaction and Overcoming the Challenges of Teleworking in Times of COVID-19: A Pilot Study Among Iranian University Community
Show others...
2023 (English)In: SAGE Open, E-ISSN 2158-2440, Vol. 13, no 2, article id 21582440231173654Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

The coronavirus pandemic changed the academic world in many ways, and most academic institutions continue operating through teleworking. The aim of the present study was to determine how satisfied the university community (faculty/staff members and students) in Iran has been with remote work, and the ways in which they have dealt with the lockdown and working from home during the coronavirus pandemic. A survey was conducted among 196 academics from different universities in Iran. The results show that a majority of our participants (54%) are very or somewhat satisfied with the current work-from-home arrangement. The most frequently used methods for managing the challenges of teleworking were social contacts with colleagues or classmates at a distance, solidarity and offering kindness and support to the people around them. The least used coping method was trusting state or local health authorities in Iran. The coping strategies that have the highest impact on overall teleworking satisfaction are “Make myself busy with my working day because it makes me feel useful,”“I care for my mental and physical health,” and “Think about what I can do rather than what I can’t do.” The findings were discussed in detail, taking into consideration the theoretical approaches, as well as bringing forth more dynamic aspects of the culture.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
SAGE, 2023
National Category
Sociology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-41926 (URN)10.1177/21582440231173654 (DOI)000994991900001 ()37252198 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85160700756 (Scopus ID)
Funder
University of Gävle, SFO-AHA-FA-2020
Available from: 2023-06-01 Created: 2023-06-01 Last updated: 2024-01-17Bibliographically approved
Ahmadi, F., Cetrez, Ö. A. & Zandi, S. (2023). Living through a Global Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Psychological Resilience of the University Population in Iran. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(6), Article ID 4844.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Living through a Global Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Psychological Resilience of the University Population in Iran
2023 (English)In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, ISSN 1661-7827, E-ISSN 1660-4601, Vol. 20, no 6, article id 4844Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Aims: This study aimed to describe and understand the individual and social dimensions of resiliency among Iranian academics as professionals during the early wave of the ongoing pandemic. Furthermore, we aimed to emphasize the cultural context in our analysis. Method: A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. We used convenient sampling, administered through an online survey, among academics at Iranian universities (n = 196, 75% women). We employed the CD-RISC 2 instrument, items on life meaning, and a modified version of Pargament’s RCOPE instrument (Meaning, Control, Comfort/Spirituality, Intimacy/Spirituality, and Life Transformation). Results: The results revealed a strong level of resilience among men (M = 5.78) and women (M = 5.52). Self-rated health was rated as excellent, very good, or good among a majority (92%) of the participants, more so among men. Family was one of the factors that most strongly gave life meaning, followed by friends, work/school, and religion/spirituality. There was a strong correlation between self-rated health and life as part of a greater whole, being alone, and listening to the sounds of the surrounding nature. Conclusions: Both personal and social levels of resilience and meaning-making are seen in the results, with an ability to balance between obstacles and resources. Cultural practices are interdependent, which also include the individual and social dimensions of resiliency and meaning-making.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
MDPI, 2023
Keywords
academia; academicians; academics; collective trauma; coping; COVID-19; crisis; health; higher education; resiliency
National Category
Sociology
Research subject
Health-Promoting Work
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-41239 (URN)10.3390/ijerph20064844 (DOI)36981752 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85152453301 (Scopus ID)
Funder
University of Gävle, SFO-AHA-FA-2020
Available from: 2023-03-27 Created: 2023-03-27 Last updated: 2023-04-24Bibliographically approved
Ahmadi, F., Ahmadi, B. & Zandi, S. (2022). Am I Swede or Iranian? The question of national and ethnic identities among children of Iranian immigrants in Sweden. SN Social Sciences, 2(5), Article ID 75.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Am I Swede or Iranian? The question of national and ethnic identities among children of Iranian immigrants in Sweden
2022 (English)In: SN Social Sciences, E-ISSN 2662-9283, Vol. 2, no 5, article id 75Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This article examines the impact of the host society’s social characteristics on second-generation immigrants’ understanding of their national and ethnic identities. Specifically, we studied how second-generation Iranians in Sweden identify themselves with Iranian society, with the Iranian ethnic group in Sweden, and/or with Swedish society, and then we compared second-generation Iranians in Sweden with those in the USA concerning the issue in question. To gather the data in Sweden, we used semi-structured e-mail interviews with 15 young people of Iranian background. We used secondary data to compare our results with those obtained in the USA. When comparing the results of this study with those obtained in the USA, we did not find the identity tensions and crisis reported by research on second-generation Iranians in the USA in members of the same generation in Sweden. Some policy recommendations were suggested.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer, 2022
National Category
Sociology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-41761 (URN)10.1007/s43545-022-00386-9 (DOI)
Funder
University of Gävle
Available from: 2023-05-14 Created: 2023-05-14 Last updated: 2023-05-15Bibliographically approved
Munobwa, J., Ahmadi, F., Zandi, S., Davidsson, N. & Akhavan, S. (2022). Coping methods and satisfaction with working from home in academic settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), Article ID 12669.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Coping methods and satisfaction with working from home in academic settings during the COVID-19 pandemic
Show others...
2022 (English)In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, ISSN 1661-7827, E-ISSN 1660-4601, Vol. 19, no 19, article id 12669Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

In this paper, we examined how university staff and students coped with challenges related to working or studying from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the level of satisfaction with working from home. An online survey was conducted among faculty, staff, and students at universities in 24 countries (n = 674). The results show that over 80% of the respondents used multiple coping methods. Three clusters of coping methods were generated through factor analysis: (1) social and health factor, with focus on personal health and the social surrounding, (2) activity factor, i.e., being busy with work or studies, finding up-to-date information about COVID-19, while thinking about what one could do rather than what one could not do, and (3) public health factor, which meant trusting health authorities while avoiding misinformation from sources such as social media. Furthermore, 56% of the respondents were very or somewhat satisfied with working from home. Differences in the methods of coping and satisfaction with working from home highlight the need for employers to prepare for working from home beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
MDPI, 2022
Keywords
coronavirus; enforced telework; higher education; home confinement; job satisfaction; coping strategies; workplace health; occupational health; telecommuting; remote work
National Category
Social Work
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:hig:diva-40270 (URN)10.3390/ijerph191912669 (DOI)000868014900001 ()36231968 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85139812920 (Scopus ID)
Funder
University of Gävle, SFO-AHA-FA-2020.
Available from: 2022-10-17 Created: 2022-10-17 Last updated: 2022-10-27Bibliographically approved
Organisations
Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0003-1272-7170