What to do to promote mental health of the society

According to the last existing documents, the prevalence rate of mental disorders is about 20% which is considered to be 14% of all country's burden of disease. In the fifth economical, social, and cultural development plan of the country in accordance with the 20 year vision, "healthy human being" and "comprehensive health" approaches and also improving of mental health indicators are emphasized. Aim of study was preparing national policy and interventions for promoting mental health. Using secondary data, analytical review of country's mental health programs, recommendations of WHO, descriptive situation of mental health and its trend during the last decade were drafted and a group of experts and stakeholders was formed following a sound stakeholder's analysis. After three Focus Group Discussions [FGDs], main points of the meetings, influencing factors of present situation, and oncoming strategies were agreed upon. Based on different studies and the experts' opinions, the prevalence of mental disorders in the last decade has increased. Coverage of mental health programs in two last decades in the best could be equal to rural population. Urban areas have been deprived of these services. Analysis of mental health system of the country shows that internal environment is weak and the external one is concede to be in threat. Eight principal challenges in country's mental health are considered. Improving current situation requires increasing internal capacity of mental health system and developing inter-sectoral cooperation. During next five years, the Ministry of Health, Iran should mainly focus on improving mental health services particularly in urban and peri-urban areas, promoting mental health literacy of different groups and minimizing mental health risk factors

To explore identifying the influencing factors of divorce in Tehran

The aim of this explorative study was to identify influencing factors as main causes of divorce among couples in Tehran. Three hundred persons from family court of Justice participated from March 2006 to March 2007 in this study. Structured interviews in addition a standard questionnaire were employed. The results indicated that the most causes were psychological factors [96.3%], socio-cultural factors [87.3%], sex problems [88%], economic factors [80.3%] and violence [84.3%] in participatnts. Premarital counseling suggested for couples to prevent divorce in Iranian community

[Interventional approaches in order to reduce injuries from car accidents]

Damages and injuries, which are about 12% of all kinds of diseases, are the third important reason of fatality in the age of 1 to 40 that mostly results from traffic accidents. According to World Health Organization data, 25 percent of total mortality belongs to death in roads. This study aims to study and to review all current approaches in order to reduce mortality of road accidents. In this review article, all relevant studies were searched and studied by using Medline and Cochrane library databank in1990-2009 and also some Persian papers with key words such as road injuries, road accident, driving behavior, effective human factors related to road accidents, psychology of accidents, and interventional approaches. The necessary interventions summarized in the four categories: 1] the emphasis on rules implementation and support; 2] providing coordination between drivers, vehicles and executives; 3] strengthening the infrastructure, information and management systems; 4] communication, public participation and education Attempt to organize multi-dimensional approaches depends on effective factors in accidents regarding the cultural, social and psychological states in the region. Effective intervention arises from a conceptual understanding of all factors involved in driving. Complex issues should be taken into consideration comprehensively. So, a detailed theoretical framework should be provided in order to design the necessary interventions. For this reason, the available instructions for the involved actors in controlling traffic accidents require public cooperation and collaboration

[ effect of PTSD related to war on marital satisfaction mental health spouse and children's behavior problem]

Many studies suggest that when one more members of family become traumatized entire family suffer from posttraumatic symptoms. The aim of this study was the determine effect of combat related PTSD Iran-Iraq imposed war on mental health, marital satisfaction of wives and children's behavior problems. In this retrospective study, samples were 270 subject that were selected from three groups of combat related PTSD veterans, Non PTSD veterans and normal groups. Each group consists of 90 subjects who were parents and one childe from each family. They were matched for age, education and socio-economic status. Three goustionnaire including, [GHO-28, CPRS-48, ENRICH-48] were used. Finding showed that wives and PTSD patients had more statistically significantly differences problems including: anxiety, depression, somatic symptoms, social dysfunction of wives of PTSD patients. The results also showed that marital satisfaction of total scores, personality issues, marital communication, conflict, than other groups. There were no statistically significant differences in problems such as: conventionality responses, children and marriage, relationship with family and friends, religious orientation among groups and this suggests that children's of PTSD patients have more problems including, anxiety, learning, impulsive - hyperactivity and conduct problems than problems other groups

overview over the rate of satisfaction of mental patients and their families from the mental health programs in rural areas

This study was aimed to evaluate satisfaction of psychiatric patients and their families from mental health programs in rural centers in Sanandaj city. The study sample included 51 psychiatric patients and families who are coverage of rural health center. Data was collected through an administration of questionnaires. The collected data was analysed using the descriptive and nonparametric statistic. 47.6%psychiatric patients and their families reported satisfaction from mental health services delivery system. Also 57.8%of them were satisfied from rural health centers personals and 57.1%of them were satisfied from the service delivery system in rural health center, 86.2%and psychiatric patient were satisfied from receiving mental health services financially and interms of spending time respectively. 64.8%psychiatric patients were not satisfied from therapeutic outcomes. The promotion of the quality of services delivery system, particulary psychiatric medication, referring and following up in rural health centers would increase the satisfaction of psychiatric patients and hence, this program should be more successful in respect of its purposes

[Public knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy in Tehran]

Despite advances in medical science and modern technology, epilepsy remains as a stigmatized condition and negative public attitude toward epilepsy is a common phenomenon especially in developing countries such as Iran. It is the major factor causing serious social discrimination against people with epilepsy which in turn may be more devastating than the disorder itself. Thorough understanding of the knowledge and attitudes toward epilepsy is essential to modify these negative attitudes. We conducted a face-to-face questionnaire interview survey in crowd locations of Tehran in August, 2004-April 2005. A total of 1079 persons all more than 15 years old were asked to fill the questionnaire. Eighty eight percent of respondents had heard about epilepsy before, 42.2% of them knew one person with epilepsy. However, out of responses about the causes of epilepsy, 52/4% said it was caused by brain damage, 26.4% said it was an inherited disease, 14.3% said it was due to fever, 34.8% believed stress as the cause of it and 1.1% said evil spirits was the cause. 56.9% considered pregnancy to be appropriate for epileptics. 94% believed children with epilepsy could go to school and have normal education. According to this survey, public knowledge and attitudes about epilepsy in study population is not satisfactory. It is suggested that additional efforts must be made to increase the knowledge of the general population through education programs especially among school children

[ perspectives of Tehran psychiatrists on Iranian mental health laws]

The aim of this project was to appraise the perspectives of Tehran psychiatrists on existing mental health laws. A questionnaire was provided either via mail or in person to 312 psychiatrists working in Tehran; 160 of them responded. Data were analyzed by descriptive-statistical methods. Data obtained from the age groups of under and over 40 years old as well as male and female groups were studied. 20% of psychiatrists are not aware of the existing laws; over 75% of them have encountered legal difficulties during their profession; more than 70% of them acknowledged that the existing laws are insufficient. The research showed that female psychiatrists have faced legal difficulties 12% more than their male counterparts in their profession. 78% of all psychiatrists believed that there are not any standards for the protection of mentally ill patients and near 69% alleged that the judicial system has not secured any laws in support of the psychiatrists. 62% of respondents claimed that existing laws regarding hospitalization and discharge of mentally ill patients are inadequate. The laws related to national mental health are deficient in the perspectives of psychiatrists

Mental health in the Islamic Republic of Iran: achievements and areas of need

The development of mental health in the Islamic Republic of Iran is described with particular reference to the integration mental health into the primary health care system. The achievements made so far are outlined and the areas of need discussed