Ahmad Ali Noorbala
1*, Seyed Abbas Bagheri Yazdi
2, Soghrat Faghihzadeh
3, Koorosh Kamali
4, Elham Faghihzadeh
5, Ahmad Hajebi
6, Shahin Akhondzadeh
7, Mohsen Rahimnia
8, Fariba Mansouri
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 Fellowship of Psychosomatic in Psychiatry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,
9 Mental Health Expertise of Lorestan Provincial Health Center, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental
health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Lorestan in 2015.
Methods: The statistical population of this
cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of
Lorestan in Iran. An estimated sample size of 1200 people was chosen using the
systematic random sampling and the cluster method. Access provided by the
contribution of Geographical Post Office of Khorramabad, Aligoodarz, and
Kuhdasht 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: This study showed that using the
traditional scoring method, 36.3% of the subjects (40.8% of females and 31.8%
of males) were suspected of mental disorders. The prevalence of suspected
psychiatric disorders in rural areas (38.1%) was higher than the prevalence of
these disorders in urban areas (35.7%). 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 among women, the age group of 65 and older,
people living in urban areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate, and housewives
people was higher than the other groups.
Conclusion: The results of this study show that more than
one third of the sample were suspected of mental disorders, and the prevalence
of these disorders has increased from 19.7% in 1999 to 36.3% in 2015.
Therefore, it is mandatory for the provincial public health authorities to take
the needed steps to ensure that necessary requirements encompassing prevention
and promotion of mental health are implemented.