Volume 25, Issue 98 (9-2026)
QJCR 2026, 25(98): 126-87 |
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abdolghaderi M. The Cycle of Hope and Despair: Fluctuating Experiences of Suicidal Ideation among University Students during a Semester of Escalating Iran-U.S. Tensions. QJCR 2026; 25 (98) : 4
URL: http://irancounseling.ir/journal/article-1-2436-en.html
URL: http://irancounseling.ir/journal/article-1-2436-en.html
PH.D. in psychology, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran. abdolghaderi@malayeru.ac.ir
Abstract: (518 Views)
Aim: This study aimed to explore the cycle of hope and hopelessness and the fluctuating experiences of suicidal ideation among university students over the course of an academic semester amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States. Specifically, it sought to understand the dynamic and context-dependent nature of suicidal ideation in relation to individual stressors, university-related factors, and broader sociopolitical crises. ▌Methods: This qualitative study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach. Eleven university students who had experienced fluctuations in suicidal ideation during an academic semester coinciding with escalating Iran–U.S. tensions were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological method. The analysis focused on identifying the fundamental structure of participants’ lived experiences rather than achieving statistical generalization. ▌Findings: Seven major themes emerged from the analysis: erosion of the sense of security and stability; accumulation and layering of psychological distress; cyclical fluctuations between hope and hopelessness; suicidal ideation as a language of helplessness and a desire for relief; political crisis as an amplifier and qualitative modifier of distress; protective factors and the reconstruction of hope; and existential reappraisal and meaning-making. The findings indicated that suicidal ideation was not experienced as a static phenomenon, but rather as a fluctuating and cyclical experience shaped by the interaction of individual stressors, academic pressures, and broader sociopolitical threats. ▌Conclusions: Suicidal ideation among university students may fluctuate substantially over time and should be understood within the broader context in which students live and study. The findings highlight the need for university-based screening and intervention systems to move beyond one-time, cross-sectional assessments toward temporally informed, context-sensitive, and multilevel approaches. Clinical interventions should also extend beyond symptom-based assessment by attending to experiences of entrapment, monitoring fluctuations in risk over time, and facilitating the reconstruction of meaning and sources of hope among university students.
Article number: 4
Keywords: Suicidal ideation, University students, Phenomenology, Fluctuation, Political tensions, Helplessness.
Type of Study: Applicable |
Subject:
Rehabilitation counseling
Received: 2025/08/21 | Accepted: 2026/07/18 | Published: 2026/09/22
Received: 2025/08/21 | Accepted: 2026/07/18 | Published: 2026/09/22
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