Role of Ethnicity in Family Functioning, Personality, and Depression in an Iranian Sample

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to examine the effect of ethnicity on the family functioning, personality, and depression in an Iranian sample. Participants were 600 couples of Shushtarian, Dezfulian, Bakhtiarian, and Arabic ethnics from the Khuzestan province. A demographic questionnaire, the Family Assessment Device (FAD), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised-Abbreviated (EPQ-R-A), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) used in this study. Findings indicated that ethnicity has significant role in family functioning in both spouses and wives. There were significant differences between genders in problem solving, affective communication, and sexual behavior pattern disturbance. Extroversion has a positive relationship with family functioning, and a negative relationship with sexual behavior pattern disturbance. Neuroticism has a significant negative relationship with family functioning, and a positive relationship with sexual behavior pattern disturbance. Finally, depression has significant negative and positive correlations with family functioning and sexual behavior pattern disturbance respectively.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Islamic Culture and Guidance Office of Khuzestan Province, Iran.