Ahmad Ali Noorbala
1*, Abbas Bagheri Yazdi
2, Soghrat Faghihzadeh
3, Koorosh Kamali
4, Elham Faghihzadeh
5, Ahmad Hajebi
6, Shahin Akhondzadeh
7, Azadeh Sedighnia
8, Vahab Asle Rahimi
91 Psychosomatic Medicine Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,
2 Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran, Tehran, Iran,
3 Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran,
4 Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran,
5 Department of Biostatistics, Paramedical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,
6 Research Center for Addiction and Risky Behaviors (ReCARB), Psychiatric Department, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,
7 Psychiatric Research Center, Roozbeh Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,
8 Psychosomatic Medicine Fellowship Residency of Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran, Iran,
9 Mental Health Expertise of East AzarBayegan Provincial Health Center, East Azarbayegan University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
*Corresponding Author: ●Corresponding author and reprints: Ahmad Ali Noorbala MD, Head of Psychosomatic Medicine Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Keshavarz Blv., Tehran, Iran. Tel: +98-21-61190000,, Email:
noorbala1@tums.ac.ir
Abstract
Introduction: The main objective of this study was to determine the
mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of East Azarbaijan
in 2015.
Methods: The statistical population of this cross-sectional field
survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of East Azarbaijan in
Iran. An estimated sample size of 1200 people was chosen using systematic
random cluster sampling. The access was provided by the contribution of
Geographical Post Office of Tabriz, Sarab and Marand cities. The
General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was used as the screening tool
for mental disorders. The analysis of data in the current study was carried out
using the SPSS-18 software.
Results: Using GHQ traditional scoring method, the
results showed that 24.9% of the studied population
(29.9% of the women and 20.1% of the men) were considered as likely cases. The
prevalence rate of mental disorders was 23.1% for rural and 25.7% for urban
areas. Prevalence rates of somatization and anxiety were higher than social
dysfunction and depression and women revealed higher prevalence for these
disorders compared with men. It was also shown that the prevalence rate
significantly increased with age and was higher in women, people aged 65 and
above, urban residents, widowed or divorced, illiterate, unemployed and
housewives people.
Conclusion:
The results
of this study showed that about a quarter of the people in the province were suspected
to have mental disorders. Comparing the results of the current survey with
those of the study conducted in 1999 suggests that the prevalence of mental
disorders is on the decrease in this province (from 25.2% in 1999 to 24.9% in
2015). Therefore, it seems vital that the officials take action in order to
improve and maintain mental health status of the people who are at risk.