عنوان

Help-seeking behavior of Iranians in response to somatization as a function of country of residence and length of time in United States

TL49197

انگلیسی

Help-seeking behavior of Iranians in response to somatization as a function of country of residence and length of time in United States

[Thesis]

Soheila Hosseini

Mendoza, Richard

Alliant International University

2016

93

Committee members: Bloch, Ellin; Farnoody, Nehzat

Place of publication: United States, Ann Arbor; ISBN=978-1-369-44211-3

Ph.D.

Los Angeles, CSPP

Alliant International University

2016

The purpose of this study was to examine the help-seeking behavior of Iranians and Iranian Americans when experiencing certain somatic symptoms. A sample of 102 adult Iranians living in Iran and Iranian Americans living in the United States was recruited through professional organizations, religious organizations, schools, informal gatherings, and Qualtrics. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, and one of the three Physical Symptom Inventories created by the author. The Physical Symptom Inventories included a checklist of culturally specific expressions of somatic symptoms, which was developed for this study in consultation with psychologists from both the United States and Iran. This study provided the opportunity for a pilot run of this checklist. It was hypothesized that Iranians living in the United States would be more likely to visit a psychologist when experiencing somatic symptoms compared to Iranians living in Iran. This hypothesis was not supported. It was also hypothesized that Iranians living in Iran would visit a physician when experiencing somatic symptoms. This hypothesis was not supported. Even though the findings were not significant, they did indicate a moderate positive correlation between length of time living in the United States and visiting a psychologist and a moderated negative correlation between lengths of time living in the United States and visiting a physician when experiencing certain somatic symptoms. The findings revealed that Iranians in general tended to visit their family physician instead of a psychologist when experiencing somatic symptoms. Implications of the current study for working with Iranian American clients and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Psychology

Psychology;Help-seeking behavior;Iranian Americans;Iranians and help-seeking behavior;Iranians and somatization;Somatic symptoms;Somatization

Khan, Shaihroz

Mendoza, Richard

Los Angeles, CSPP

Alliant International University

1865634940; 10245503

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y