Loss of Face as a Mediator Between Acculturation and Trust in Mental Health Researchers and Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services in Iranian Americans

Iranians are one of the most understudied immigrant groups in the United States (Ghaffarian, 1998). Much of the literature on Iranians focuses on acculturation (Bozorgmehr, 1998), with little 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 prevalent (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. It was hypothesized that loss of face mediates the relationship between acculturation and both trust in mental health researchers and attitudes toward seeking mental health services. Data was collected from 166 Iranians sampled nationwide using a randomized online survey. Results did not support this model. Implications and future directions are discussed.