Ahmad Ali Noorbala
1*, Seyed Abbas Bagheri Yazdi
2, Soghrat Faghihzadeh
3*, Koorosh Kamali
4*, Elham Faghihzadeh
5, Ahmad Hajebi
6, Shahin Akhondzadeh
7*, Mehdi Hormozpour
8, Hamdad Aranpour
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 Department of Psychiatry, Baghiyatollah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,
9 Mental Health Expertise of Kohghilouyeh and Bouyerahmad Provincial Health Center, Kohghilouyeh and Bouyerahmad University of Medical Sciences, Yasouj, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental
health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Kohghilouyeh
and Bouyerahmad in 2015.
Methods: The statistical population of this
cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of
Kohghilouyeh and Bouyerahmad 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 Yasuj, Dogonbadan, and Dehdasht
cities. The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was used as a screening tool
for mental disorders. Data
analysis in the current study was carried out using the SPSS-18 software.
Results: Using GHQ traditional scoring
method, the results showed that 16.9% of the subjects showed to be at risk of mental disorders (20.1% of
females and 13.4% of males). Urban areas (18.3%) were more at risk of mental
disorders compared with rural residents (13.9%). Anxiety and somatization
symptoms were more frequent than depression and social dysfunction among
respondents. The obtained data revealed that the prevalence of mental disorders
increased with age. The results also indicated that mental disorders were more
common in certain subgroups; in particular women, those aged 65 years and
above, the divorced and widowed, illiterate and retired adults.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that one sixth of the participants are at risk of developing mental
disorders. Although the prevalence of these disorders has decreased from 26.2%
to 16.9% between 1999 and 2015, it is still of great importance to further
promote mental health policies and advocate psychological welfare of those
suffering from mental disorders along with their re-empowerment.