Abstract
Iranians are one of the least studied immigrant groups in the United States, despite possessing significant amounts of psychological distress. This article provides an overview of 46 studies pertaining to the mental health of Iranians, both in Iran and abroad (including in the United States), to elucidate areas that need further exploration. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first article to integrate Iranian mental health literature on a global scale. Merging international findings will enable researchers and clinicians to better address the needs of Iranians in the community and clinic. Issues for consideration in future research include recruitment and retention, dissemination of findings, and the selection and translation of measures. Clinical implications are also discussed throughout the article.
I thank my adviser, Donald B. Pope-Davis, for his support and guidance, and Alexandra F. Corning for her encouragement and revisions on several drafts of this article. I also thank Cheryl Smith, University of Notre Dame psychology librarian, for her assistance with search databases. Finally, I thank my family for their feedback in the early stages and development of the manuscript.