A quantitative approach to social network analysis involves the application of mathematical and statistical techniques and graphical presentation of results. Nonetheless—as with all sciences—subjectivity is an integral aspect of network analysis, manifested in the selection of measures to describe connection patterns and actors’ positions (e.g., choosing a centrality indicator), in the visualization of social structure in graphs, and in translating numbers into words (telling the story). Here, we use network research as an example to illustrate how quantitative and qualitative approaches, techniques, and data are mixed along a continuum of fusion between quantitative and qualitative realms.

BackgroundMental health has been integrated in the primary health care program in small cities and villages of Iran in a national level since the late 1980s. We performed a systematic review of literature to investigate the effect of education on change in attitude and knowledge of mental health care providers and the population covered in the program during the recent two decades in Iran.MethodsElectronic bibliographic databases including Pubmed, PsycINFO and EMBase as well as the main Iranian databases (Scientific Information Database, IranMedex, IranPsych, and IranDoc) were searched. Additionally, hand searching, personal contacts and tracking of reference lists were performed. All of the studies which compared the attitude and knowledge of the related population before and after an educational intervention were recruited.ResultsSix articles met the inclusion criteria and entered the review. All of these studies showed an improvement in the attitude and knowledge of the studied population. Although the studies were different in many respects, a meta-analysis on the two more similar studies showed a significant effect of training on long term improvement of the knowledge and attitude of the population.ConclusionA short term training improved knowledge and attitude of the population and health personnel immediately after the intervention. There is also evidence for a long term change in the attitude and knowledge of general population after short term training.

Background: One in four families has at least one member with a mental disorder and families are the main caregivers in most patients in low and middle-income countries. Caregivers experience disruption in their routine lives, increased responsibilities, increased need for support, and changes in their network. The role of personal support networks in the health and burden of the caregivers is complex and depends on the context, cultural and socioeconomical variables. In this study, we aimed to investigate the personal support network of caregivers of patients with severe mental illness in Iran. Methods: By using a mixed-methods design, we focused on the structure and composition of caregiver networks, as well as self-perceived caregiver support. Results: We found that the support network of caregivers was mostly composed of immediate family members whom themselves were selectively chosen as a result of the multidimensional process of interaction between stigma, availability, and the perceived needs of caregivers. The participants mentioned economic and instrumental supports more frequently than emotional support, probably reflecting their unmet basic needs. Advocacy for providing formal systemic supports to caregivers, as well as interventions that expand caregivers personal support network is recommended. Conclusions: Most participants of the study were relatively isolated and had a small network of support, mostly composed of immediate family members. Stigma was a serious source of family distress for caregivers and a limiting factor in social relationships.

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