Quarterly Journal of Social Development (Previously Human Development)

Quarterly Journal of Social Development (Previously Human Development)

A Systematic Review of Suicide Studies in the Zagros and Western Provinces of Iran (Time Period 2001-2025)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Amin Roshanpour 1
Asadullah Naqdi 2
Mohammad Mobaraki 3
Ismail Balali 4
1 PhD Student in Sociology (Specialization: Social Issues in Iran), Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
2 Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
4 Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
10.22055/qjsd.2026.51737.3205
Abstract
Suicide is one of the most important contemporary social and psychological harms that have shown a worrying trend in recent decades in Iran, especially in the Zagros and western provinces of the country. The present study, using a systematic and qualitative review approach, critically analyzes studies conducted on suicide in the provinces of Ilam, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad, Kermanshah, Lorestan, Kurdistan, and Hamadan between 2001 and 2025. After a systematic search of scientific databases and filtering studies based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 31 eligible studies were finally selected for analysis. The findings show that the majority of published articles were focused on the field of social sciences and sociology, and from a methodological perspective, cross-sectional and descriptive studies predominated, while longitudinal, mixed, and interventional studies had a small contribution. Critical analysis of the results indicates that although individual, family, and cultural factors have been extensively studied, the link between these factors and macro-social and economic structures, including developmental inequalities, unemployment, regional deprivation, and weak support systems, has received less attention. The results of this systematic review indicate that achieving a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon of suicide in the Zagros region requires adopting an interdisciplinary and multilevel approach that analyzes individual, family, and psychological levels in relation to structural and social contexts. By focusing on the specific geographical and cultural characteristics of the Zagros provinces, this study seeks to fill the gaps in the research literature and strengthen the theoretical and practical foundations of preventive policies.
Keywords
Suicide
Social Health
Systematic Review
Zagros Regions
Structural Inequalities
Subjects
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Quarterly Journal of Social Development (Previously Human Development)
Volume 20, Issue 4 - Serial Number 80
Vol. 20, No. 4, Summer 2026
Summer 2026
Pages 171-202