Ahmad Ali Noorbala
1*, Seyed Abbas Bagheri Yazdi
2, Soghrat Faghihzadeh
3, Koorosh Kamali
4, Elham Faghihzadeh
5, Ahmad Hajebi
6, Shahin Akhondzadeh
7, Morteza Jafarnia
8, Lalah Mohammadizadeh
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, Psychosomatic Medicine Fellowship of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,
9 Responsible Manager of Mental Health in Qazvin Provincial Health Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental
health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Qazvin in 2015.
Methods: The statistical population of this
cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of
Qazvin 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 Qazvin, Alvand, Mohammadieh and Abhar cities. The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was used as the 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, 25.8% of the subjects
were shown to be at risk of mental disorders (29.5% of females and 22.1% of
males). Urban areas (27%) were more at risk of mental disorders compared with
rural residents (23.3%). 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. These disorders
were more common in females, age group of 65 and above, people living in rural
areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate and unemployed individuals compared
with the other groups.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that
about a fourth of the people in the province were suspected to have mental
disorders. 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.