Ahmad Ali Noorbala
1*, Seyed Abbas Bagheri Yazdi
2, Soghrat Faghihzadeh
3, Koorosh Kamali
4, Elham Faghihzadeh
5, Ahmad Hajebi
6, Shahin Akhondzadeh
7, Sayedeh Elham Sharafi
8, Nahid Geramian
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 Research Center, Imam khomeini Hospital,Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,
9 Responsible Manager of Mental Health office of Isfahan Provincial Health Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental
health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Isfahan in 2015.
Methods: The statistical population of this
cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of
Isfahan in Iran. Through systematic
random cluster sampling, 1200 individuals were selected from the residents of
urban and rural areas of Isfahan, Kashan and Shahin shahr. 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, 30.6% of the subjects (38.5% of females and 22.5%
of males) were suspected of having mental disorders. The prevalence of
suspected psychiatric disorders in urban areas (32.1%) was higher than the
prevalence of these disorders in rural areas (27%). 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 in
women was higher 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 among women, the age group of
65 and older, people living in urban areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate,
and housewives was higher than other groups.
Conclusion: The results of this study show that more than one third of the
sample are suspected of mental disorders, and the prevalence of these disorders
has increased from 21.3% in 1999 to 30.6% in 2015; therefore, it is up to the
authorities and health managers of the province to take the basic steps to
supply, maintain, and preserve the mental health of those in need and promote
the mental health of the community.