Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Psychiatry 1735-4587 14 1 2018 12 16 33 39 EN Abolfazl Mohammadi Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Imaneh Abasi Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mehdi Soleimani Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Seyed Tayeb Moradian Atherosclerosis Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Taha Yahyavi Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mostafa Zarean Department of Psychology, School of Education and Psychology, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran. 2018 03 01 Objective: Anxiety is a complex phenomenon on which culture has a prominent influence. The present study aimed to investigate the cultural aspects of social anxiety disorder (SAD) in an Iranian population. Method: A qualitative content analysis research was done to answer the study question. A total of 16 individuals with social anxiety disorder (six men and 10 women) were selected using purposeful sampling method (M = 24.43, SD = 4.56). The study was conducted in Tehran, Urmia, and Sanandaj- Iran. Participants were from different ethnic backgrounds (LOR, FARS, TURK, and KURD). Data were analyzed by thematic analysis using an inductive method. Results: Analysis of participants’ records yielded five distinct categories with some subcategories, which are as follow: (1) anxiety experiences; (2) core beliefs; (3) reasons of being anxious; (4) effects of SAD on life aspects; and (5) coping strategies. Conclusion: It seems that symptoms of social anxiety and its underlying beliefs, causes and effects and coping strategies are almost experienced and interpreted in a way that could be the same as DSM-5 clinical presentation of social anxiety, with the exception that somatic symptoms are experienced by almost all participants.   https://ijps.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijps/article/view/1336 https://ijps.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijps/article/download/1336/832