Identification of Effective Factors to Reduce Symptoms of Depression from the Perspective of Islam: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Depression is a very prevalent and recurrent disorder that is associated with a high mortality rate. Today there is an ever-increasing rise in religious spiritual interventions in the context of many mental disorders including depression. According to the high capacity of the Islam religion for harmonization and meaning in the framework of human personality, the purpose of the current study was to identify the factors that contribute to reducing depression symptoms from the point of view of Islam.
The present study utilized a conventional qualitative content analysis. The content of the research was collected through electronic search of selected databases and a three-member working group of experts. Review of the literatures, selecting the meaning units, extraction of the condensed units, subcategories, categories, and ultimately identifying and nominating the main themes are the common steps in the method. The study applied rigor from approaches of credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability, as well as the experiences of 10 expert panelists. Finalizing the main themes was continued until agreement was reached among all members of panel.
The coding process showed that factors effective in reducing depression symptoms can be categorized into eight-main themes including: (1) monotheistic feedback; (2) getting Contractual independence and valuability (value); (3) strengthened support; (4) emotional regulation; (5) propensity regulation; (6) meaningfulness to the unpleasant and pleasant; (7) action regulation; and (8) purposefulness regulation. The agreement among the members of panel for the eight mentioned themes showed that the average ratio and index of content validity were 0.92 and 0.96, and all the themes had the minimum acceptable value.
On one side, 8 resulting themes from the present study can be emphasized at the different levels of prevention by cultural, religious, and health planner's activities and on the other side, used by other researchers to design a therapy package based on religious and spiritual factors.