Reflections From Indigenous Psychology on Emotional Disorders: A Qualitative Study in Azeri Ethnic Group

objective: depression and anxiety literature in iran is short of cultural/indigenous studies,especially with regard to azeri ethnic group. this study was carried out in order to identifydepression and anxiety aspects in azeri ethnic group.methods: in a cross sectional qualitative design, 32 azeri informants (14 patients, 13 laypeople, and 5 professionals) recruited in the study using purposeful sampling method.individual in-depth interviews were conducted and the collected data were analyzed throughcontent analysis technique.results: primary results indicated that 11 main theme categories exist in azeri ethnicgroup: avoidance, dysfunction, arousality, disorganized personality, repetition, somatization,problematic behavior, maladaptive cognition, awareness, positive, and negative emotionality.conclusions: current evidence does not support the hypothesis of “somatizing” depressionand anxiety in iranian cultural background, and perhaps other psychological processes areinvolved in somatic symptom report. theoretical advantages and implications of the study inthe framework of clinical and indigenous studies are discussed.