همه گيري شناسي اختلالات روانپزشكي در استان گلستان

An epidemiological study of psychiatric disorders in Golestan province (Year 2001)

Background&Objective: The burden of psychiatric disorders in the developed countries has been identified by the screening questionnaires and standard clinical interviews at a high level, but the epidemiological studies of psychiatric disorders in our country are brief and their numbers are few. Providing essential mental health services to the people requires us to be knowledgeable about the present status of psychiatric disorders in the society. The objective of this research was to carry out the epidemiological study of the psychiatric disorders in the 18 years and above individuals in the urban and rural areas of Golestan province. Materials&Methods: 518 individuals selected through randomized clustered and systematic sampling methods from among the existing families of Golestan province and the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS) questionnaires completed by the clinical psychologist. The diagnosis of the disorders was based on DSM-1V classification criteria. Results: The results of the study showed that the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the province is 14.69 percent. which was 18.14 percent in the women, and 11.47 percent in the men. The mood and affective disorders respectively with 7.93 and 4.05 percent had the higher prevalence in the province. The prevalence of psychotic disorders in this study was 0.97 percent, neuro-cognitive disorders 1.16 percent and dissociative disorders 0.58 percent. In the group anxiety diso>fders, panic disorder with 4.05 percent of had the higher prevalence and in the group of affective disorder, major depression. hypomanic and manic disorder with 1.93. Conclusion: This study showed that 7.53 percent of individuals that were studied suffered from at least one of the psychiatric disorders. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the province among the individuals in the age group of41-55 years with 13.04 percent, separated or divorced individuals 50 percent, residents of urban areas 11.03 percent, illiterate individuals 12.75 percent and housewives 13.04 percent was more than other individuals in the sample. Being aware of this matter reveals the responsibility of the health policy makers and programmers, prevention, treatment and medical education more than before in relation to preparing application and executive plans in Golestan province for mental health.