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

Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Mazandaran in 2015. Methods: The statistical population of this cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of Mazandaran in Iran. The access was provided by the contribution of Geographical Post Office of Sari, Babol, and Tonekabon 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 17% of the studied population (21% of females and 13% of males) were considered as likely cases. The prevalence rate of mental disorders was 19.8% for urban and 15.8% for urban areas. Prevalence of somatization and anxiety was higher than social dysfunction and depression and women revealed higher prevalence for these disorders compared to men. It was also shown that the prevalence rate significantly increased with age and was higher in women, people aged 45-64 years, urban residents, widowed or divorced, illiterate, and unemployed people. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that about a sixth of the people in the province are suspected to have mental disorders. Comparing the results of the current survey with those of the study conducted in 1999 suggests that the prevalence of mental disorders has increased in this province (from 12.3% in 1999 to 17% in 2015). Therefore, it seems vital for the officials to take action in order to improve and maintain mental health status of the people who are at risk.