A Survey on Mental Health Status of Adult Population Aged 15 and above in the Province of Khouzestan, Iran.

INTRODUCTION: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Khouzestan in 2015.

METHODS: The statistical population of this cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of Khouzestan 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 Ahvaz, Imam khomeini Bandar, and Shooshtar 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, 21.8% of the subjects were shown to be at risk of mental disorders (26.2% of females and 23% of males). Urban areas (27.1%) were more at risk of mental disorders compared with rural residents (16.8%). The prevalence of suspected cases of mental disorders in urban areas (25.4%) was higher than rural areas (13.4 %). 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. Such disorders were more common in females, age group of 65 and above, people living in rural areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate, housewives 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 and the prevalence of these disorders has increased from 21.3% in 1999 to 21.8% 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.