Ahmad Ali Noorbala
1*, Seyed Abbas Bagheri Yazdi
2, Soghrat Faghihzadeh
3, Koorosh Kamali
4, Elham Faghihzadeh
5, Ahmad Hajebi
6, Shahin Akhondzadeh
7, Arvin Hedayati
8, Fariba Rezaei
9, Ladan Sahraeian
101 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 6Research 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 Psychiatrist, Assistant Fellowship in psychosomatic medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,
9 Responsible Manager of Mental Health office of Fars Provincial Health Center, Fars University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran,
10 Mental Health Expertise of Jahrom Health Center, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Fars, Iran
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 Fars
in 2015.
Methods: The statistical population of this cross-sectional field
survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of Fars in Iran. Through systematic random cluster sampling,
1200 individuals were selected from the residents of urban and rural areas of
Shiraz, Jahrom and Kazeroun. The 28-item version of the General Health
Questionnaire was applied as the screening tool. The data were analyzed using
SPSS, version 18.0 for windows.
Results: This study showed that using the
traditional scoring method, 22.5% of the subjects (26.9% of females and 18% of
males) were suspected of having mental disorders. The prevalence of suspected
psychiatric disorders in urban areas (24.3%) was more than the prevalence of
these disorders in rural areas (18.6%). The prevalence of suspected anxiety and
the somatization of symptoms was higher than the prevalence of social
dysfunction and depression, and the prevalence of these components was higher in
women than men. The findings of this study also showed that the prevalence of
suspected mental disorders increased significantly with age. The prevalence of
suspected cases of these disorders was higher among women, the age group of 65
and older, people living in urban areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate, and
retired compared to other groups.
Conclusion: The results of this study show that more than a fourth of
the sample were suspected of mental disorders, and the prevalence of these
disorders has decreased from 22.9% in 1999 to 22.5% in 2015. Therefore, it
seems necessary for the provincial public health authorities to take the needed
steps for providing requirements encompassing prevention and promotion of
mental health in this area.