Psychological Normality or Abnormality: A Case Study on Salafi-Jihadists in the Middle-East.

The present study investigated Salafi-Jihadists in terms of mental health. The participants included 12 Salafi-Jihadists living in border areas of Iran, Kurdistan, selected using a purposeful sampling method. This primarily phenomenological case study gathered data, using open-ended interviews, field observations and in-depth clinical interviews.

Recruitment Process in Salafi-Jihadist Groups in the Middle East (A Qualitative Study).

Studies on the psychology of terrorism and fundamentalism place great importance on the role of groups, with a central concept of "us" versus "them." The present study examines how and why Salafi-jihadist groups in the Middle East have attracted typical citizens. The participants in this qualitative study were unremarkable Kurdish people living near the western borders of Iran with an allegiance toward Salafi-jihadist groups.