Ahmad Ali Noorbala
1*, Seyed Abbas Bagheri Yazdi
2, Soghrat Faghihzadeh
3, Koorosh Kamali
4, Elham Faghihzadeh
5, Ahmad Hajebi
6, Shahin Akhondzadeh
7, Ali-Akbar Nejatisafa
8, Reza Morad Haghighian
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 Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,
9 Mental Health Expertise of Kermanshah Provincial Health Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental
health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Kermanshah in 2015.
Methods: The statistical population of this
cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of
Kermanshah in Iran. An estimated sample size of 1200 people was chosen in three
clusters: Kermanshah, Islamabad-e-Gharb, and Sonqor by using the systematic
random sampling method. The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was
used as the screening tool for evaluation of status for mental disorders. The
traditional method for scoring of GHQ-28 was used in this study. Data analysis
was carried out using the SPSS-18 software.
Results: Response rate for the study was 97.83%.
The results showed that 26.2% of individuals (29.4% of females and 23% of males)
were suspected to suffer from mental disorder, in total. The prevalence of
being suspected of mental disorders was 28.9% in urban and 19.7% in the rural
areas. Somatization and anxiety symptoms were more prevalent than social
dysfunction and depression symptoms and were more common in women than men. The
results of this research also showed that the prevalence of being suspected of
mental disorders increased with aging. Suspicion for these disorders was more
common in females, those aged ≥65, people living in urban areas, divorced and
widowed, illiterate, housewives and unemployed individuals compared with the
other groups.
Conclusion: This study showed that more than a quarter of the people
in Kermanshah province were suspected to have mental disorders. These findings
mandate further attention in the province health policy and program planning
for prevention and promotion of mental health.