title: Experiences living with fatigue in Iranian veterans chemically injured by sulfur mustard gas: a phenomenological study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fatigue affects the quality of life. Evidence shows that the phenomenon of fatigue is experienced differently depending on the type of disease and its consequences. The aim of the study was to explicate the meanings of the experience of living with fatigue in chemically injured veterans.
  
  
  METHODS
  The hermeneutic phenomenology approach was used in this study, with an emphasis on Van Mennen's viewpoint and approach. According to Van Mennen, six overlapping dynamic activities are recommended to conduct a phenomenological study. During unstructured interviews, the participants were asked to describe their daily living experiences with fatigue. The participants were individuals who were chemically injured due to exposure to mustard gas. After examining every statement in the interview text, extractions of the meaning units, clustering, and themes were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data explication was based on the third to sixth stages of Van Mennen's approach. The experience living with fatigue was classified into four essential themes: fatigue as a chronic condition, as an unstable and affected situation, as a physical condition of the entire individual, and as a mental condition of the entire individual.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Due to unique social interactions and pathogenicity, victims of mustard gas experience fatigue differently than patients with other chronic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Chemical Injuries, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Soheil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Najafi Mehri
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: ebadi1347@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ebadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Education, Faculty of Nursing, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Majideh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heravi Karimooi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahshid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foroughan
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Neurosciences, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hedayat
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sahraei