Ahmad Ali Noorbala
1*, Seyed Abbas Bagheri Yazdi
2, Soghrat Faghihzadeh
3, Koorosh Kamali
4, , Elham Faghihzadeh
5, Ahmad Hajebi
6, Shahin Akhondzadeh
7, Mansour Shakiba
8, Fatemah Sargazi
9, Shirin Shahriari
101 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 Associated Professor of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran,
9 Mental Health Expertise of Sistan and Bluchestan Provincial Health Center, Sistan and Bluchestan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran,
10 Mental Health Expertise of Zabol Health Center, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental
health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Sistan and Baluchestan in 2015.
Method: The statistical population of this
cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of
Sistan and Baluchestan province 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 Zahedan, Zabol, and Saravan 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, the results showed that 15.1%
of individuals (17.2% of females and 13% of males) were suspected of mental
disorders. The prevalence of suspected cases of mental disorders was 19% in
urban and 13.5% in rural areas. It also showed that 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 suspected cases of mental disorders increased with aging.
Such disorders were more common in females, age group of 65 and above, people
living in urban areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate and retired individuals
compared with the other groups.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed
that about a sixth 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.