Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of Emotional Experiences of East Turkestan International Students with Somatic Complaints

Abstract

People in cultural or geographic transition are at a greater risk for somatization (Hull, 1979). The aim of this qualitative study is to understand the emotional experiences of 19-25 years old international students from East Turkestan with somatic comlaints, which constitutes a minority group in Turkey. To that aim, we used Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis as our research method. 14 semi-structured interviews with seven students were conducted and analyzed. Four superordinate themes have emerged as a result of our analysis: (1) ‘Pain as a reflection of negative emotions’, (2) Withdrawal with a sense of difference and anxiety about making mistakes’, (3) ‘The burdens of the sense of responsibility’, and (4) ‘The pressure and self-blame when the goals are not achieved. We discussed the emerging themes in the context of scientific literature and evaluated somatic complaints in terms of their clinical effects