Qualitative Study of Emotional Disorders’ Symptoms in Some Ethnic Groups in Iran
Subject Areas :مصطفی زارعان 1 * , شهریار شهیدی 2 , فونز وان دی فایفر 3 , محسن دهقانی 4
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Abstract :
The present study aimed to investigate the cultural dimensions of anxiety and depression in Azeri, Kurd, and Fars (Persian) ethnic groups in Iran. In a cross sectional qualitative design, 44 individuals with emotional problems participated in an in-depth interview including perceptions of emotional disorders, their causal factors, and help seeking behaviors. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Primary findings represented relative similarity between these three groups in the reported themes, which could be summarized in three main themes, namely negative emotionality, somatization, and maladaptive cognition. Perceived etiological factors for emotional disorders included more psycho-logical processes rather than social and environmental components. The extracted themes consisted of a heterogeneous set of psychological constructs, and provided further evidence to reiterate the importance of contextual variables such as culture and ethnicity in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of emotional disorders.