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

Introduction: The main objective of this study was to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Ardebil in 2015. Methods: The statistical population of this cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of Ardebil province in Iran. An estimated sample size of 1200 people were chosen using systematic random cluster sampling. Access was provided by the contribution of Geographical Post Office of Ardebil, Pars abad and Germi 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 21.4% of individuals (26.3% of females and 16.5% of males) were suspected of mental disorders. The prevalence of suspected cases of mental disorders was 20.8% in urban and 22.8% in rural areas. The results 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 rural areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate and unemployed individuals compared with other groups. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that about one fifth of people in the province were suspected of 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.