University of Notre Dame

Face As a Mediator

Iranians are one of the most understudied immigrant groups in the United States (Ghaffarian, 1998). Furthermore, much of the literature on Iranians focuses on acculturation (Bozorgmehr, 1998), with little to no research being conducted on psychopathology and other related variables. Of the few published studies on Iranians, references made to recruitment difficulties and participant distrust of researchers is not uncommon (Chaichian, 1997). Given the small body of Iranian mental health literature, an examination of issues related to lack of participation in mental health studies is needed. In this study, I propose a mediational model that attempts to explain this lack of participation. Using a mediator model, I suggest that loss of face mediates the relationship between acculturation and both trust in mental health researchers and attitudes toward seeking mental health services.