Ahmad Ali Noorbala
1*, Seyed Abbas Bagheri Yazdi
2, Soghrat Faghihzadeh
3, Koorosh Kamali
4, Elham Faghihzadeh
5, Ahmad Hajebi
6, Shahin Akhondzadeh
7, Seyed Taha Yahyavi
8, Soheila Baluchi
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 Psychiatrist, School of Medicine, Roozbeh Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,
9 Responsible Manager of Mental Health office of Ilam Provincial Health Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental
health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Ilam in 2015.
Methods: The statistical population of this
cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of
Ilam 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 Ilam, Dehloran and Eyvan 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 32.4% of individuals (37% of females, and 28.1% of males)
were likely to have a mental disorder. The prevalence of
suspected cases of mental disorders was
33% in urban and 31% in rural areas. The prevalence of mental disorders was higher in females,
people living in urban areas, those aged 65 years and above, divorced or
widowed, illiterate, and the retired compared to other groups. In addition, the
prevalence increased with age. The prevalence of anxiety and somatization
symptoms was higher than social dysfunction and depression. Moreover, the
prevalence of these symptoms was higher in females than males.
Conclusion: Almost one third of the samples were likely to have a mental
disorder. Therefore, the provincial authorities and health providers should
take essential steps for providing and maintaining mental health services to
promote community mental health.