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

Introduction: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Semnan in 2015. Method: The statistical population of this cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of Semnan province in Iran. Through systematic random cluster sampling, 1200 individuals were selected from the residents of urban and rural areas of Semnan, Garmsar and Shahroud. The 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire was applied as the screening tool. The data were analyzed using SPSS, version 18.0 for windows. Results: This study showed that using the traditional scoring method, 14.5% of the subjects (15.8% of females and 13.1% of males) were suspected of having mental disorders. The prevalence of suspected psychiatric disorders in urban areas (15.5%) was higher than the prevalence of these disorders in rural areas (12.1%). The prevalence of suspected anxiety and the somatization of symptoms was higher than the prevalence of social dysfunction and depression, and the prevalence of these components was higher in women than in men. The findings of this study also showed that the prevalence of suspected mental disorders increased significantly with age. The prevalence of suspected cases of these disorders was higher among women, the age group of 65 and older, people living in urban areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate, and unemployed people than 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.