A Voice from Behind Closed Doors: An Ethnographic Look into a Psychiatric Hospital

Fouladiyan, Majid; Amini, Fatemeh; Roshandel, Nafiseh

doi:10.22054/rjsw.2026.86560.827

A Voice from Behind Closed Doors: An Ethnographic Look into a Psychiatric Hospital

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Majid Fouladiyan ¹

Fatemeh Amini ²

Nafiseh Roshandel ³

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Dr. Ali Shariati, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran.

² Social Work Expert, Department of Social Sciences, Dr. Ali Shariati Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran.

³ PhD student in Economic Sociology and Development, Department of Social Sciences, Dr. Ali Shariati Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Ferdowsi University, Mashhad.

https://doi.org/10.22054/rjsw.2026.86560.827

Abstract

Psychiatric and neurological patients, as a marginalized and voiceless group, are often deprived of being seen and heard in society. This article aims to illuminate the hidden dimensions of patients' lives and reflect the realities of human and structural interactions within the hospital environment. To this end, an ethnographic method and participant observation technique were employed. The research field is a psychiatric and neurological hospital in northeastern Iran. The study population included social workers, nurses, support staff, security guards, and patients. Purposive sampling was conducted among individuals who played a key role in the processes of interaction with patients. The findings consist of six categories: 1- Hospital space and lack of facilities in various wards; 2- Psychiatric and neurological patients receiving support from exhausted caregivers; 3- Stigmatization in interactions with patients; 4- Segregation of patients from staff; 5- Disciplinary care: from order to violence; 6- Challenges of working with psychiatric and neurological patients. The results indicate that many conflicts, acts of violence, and inefficiencies stem from flawed, depleted, and unequal structures—structures that not only fail to provide effective support for patients but also push the healthcare staff toward the reproduction of violence, indifference, and discrimination.

Keywords

Keywords: ethnography

labeling

psychiatric patients

structural violence

social work

Subjects