Background: Considering the irreparable impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the target population, the study aimed at explaining the barriers and facilitators of perceived social support in controlling the spread of the COVID-19 disease. Methods: : This study was performed qualitatively using the content analysis method. The population of this consisted of 37 Iranians active Instagram users. They participated in the research via calls. The researchers selected the samples purposively so that they could call the users on Instagram to participate after stating the objectives of the research. Purposeful sampling continued until the saturation point was reached. To collect data, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 12 participants via video calls, while 25 were interviewed personally. In doing so, the researchers re-interviewed 4 people personally to make them understand the issue more clearly. The interview process was repeated for some of the subjects. Finally, a total of 41 interviews were conducted with a duration between 17 and 48 minutes. Open and in-depth interviews were conducted to collect the data and analyzed it through the content analysis method. Results: : The researchers extracted 2 main categories related to the barriers and facilitators of perceived social support and 12 subcategories by analyzing the data. Barriers to perceived social support were categorized into 6 main categories;economic factors, familial factors, socio-cultural factors, individual and psychological factors, inefficient quarantine policies, weak management. The facilitators of social support were classified into 6 main categories;familial factors, individual factors, government's supportive policies, and improvement of occupational, social, spiritual, and emotional status. Conclusion: The results indicated that a set of environmental and social factors could control the COVID-19 disease and play a deterring or facilitating role in the controlling process. Understanding these factors, as they were tailored with the social context and individuals' real-time experiences while being exposed to the outbreak, necessary measures can be effectively applied in designing training programs. The prevalence and spread of the disease can be controlled by strengthening the environmental factors and social facilitators and reducing the effect of deterring factors.
An Explanation of the Barriers and Facilitators of Perceived Social Support in Controlling the COVID-19 Disease: A Qualitative Study