Depression as a social-cultural illness: The predictive patterns of depressive disorders in the Iranian Culture

Research in Cultural psychology and sociology have shown that culture impacts the psychopathology of mental disorders through language. This study with regarding to the issue that unclear boundaries among mental disorders and their comorbidity causing confusion in DSM-5 diagnostic system, examines whether depression is a single disorder or has different patterns which are formed with the comorbidity of other disorders, accordingly checks out what the predictors of depressive disorder are this study has investigated the clinical picture of depression, using the experimental method. Iranian students are research population and students of Tehran University are sample population, selected by random method, evaluated by Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and the Symptom Checklist-90-R. Results are analyzed with multiple regression analysis. findings suggest that depression in Iranian student population is recognizable and able to be evaluated based on five main components, and SCL-90-R characteristics are suitable for predicting of depression. Three patterns of depression is detected which have dominant roles in mapping the depression. The findings also suggest that the rate of depression is greater among female students than male ones. depression disorder has comorbidity with other disorders. It is essential to produce the diagnostic criteria which is applicable on Iranian population to fill the existing gap in diagnostic and treatment process in the system of DSM. Furthermore, culture is considered as a dynamic, variable and discursive process given form by innovative role of language in the social construction.