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

INTRODUCTION: This research aims to determine the mental health status of population aged 15 and over in the province of Isfahan in 2015. METHODS: The statistical population of this cross-sectional field survey consisted of residents of urban and rural areas of Isfahan in Iran. Through systematic random cluster sampling, 1200 individuals were selected from the residents of urban and rural areas of Isfahan, Kashan and Shahin shahr. 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, 30.6% of the subjects (38.5% of females and 22.5% of males) were suspected of having mental disorders. The prevalence of suspected psychiatric disorders in urban areas (32.1%) was higher than the prevalence of these disorders in rural areas (27%). 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 in women was higher than 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 among women, the age group of 65 and older, people living in urban areas, divorced and widowed, illiterate, and housewives was higher than other groups. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that more than one third of the sample are suspected of mental disorders, and the prevalence of these disorders has increased from 21.3% in 1999 to 30.6% in 2015; therefore, it is up to the authorities and health managers of the province to take the basic steps to supply, maintain, and preserve the mental health of those in need and promote the mental health of the community.

Development of a Questionnaire to Assess Drug Abuse among High School Students of Isfahan Province, Iran: An Action Research.

BACKGROUND: Considering the problem of drug abuse in Iran especially in adolescents and the youth, recent alterations in drug abuse rate and its trend, the necessity to have local information about this problem, applied research has a determining role in management of this problem and making proper decisions. Therefore, the current study was conducted to develop a questionnaire to assess the status of drug abuse among high school students of Isfahan Province, Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted out in 2009 in 20 cities of Isfahan Province. A researcher-made questionnaire was developed to determine knowledge, attitude, and practice of high school students regarding addictive drugs and their associated causes. This was accomplished by recruiting 7137 students who were selected by multistage random cluster sampling. RESULTS: The designed questionnaire identified the status quo of drug abuse according to age, gender, and different cities of Isfahan Province. We also accessed information about the type of abused drug, the most common causes of drug abuse for the first time, the most important causes of drug abuse, mean age of abusers and mean age at the first abuse, common time and locations of drug abuse, and the most common routes of drug abuse according to gender as well as urban and rural areas of Isfahan Province. Reliability of the questionnaire, based on the calculated Cronbach's alpha coefficient, was 77% considering a cut-off point of 0.07. CONCLUSIONS: According to the obtained results, the designed questionnaire is capable to assess the drug abuse status among high school students of Isfahan Province. Regarding the importance of teenage years in forming the future behaviors of adolescents and the opportunities provided at schools, it is prudent to pay more attention to interventions in this age group in order to increase their knowledge and correct their attitude toward illegal drugs and strengthening their confidence in this regard. These interventions can have an important role in decreasing the rate of drug abuse in this age group and consequently in the whole community.

A Review Study of Substance Abuse Status in High School Students, Isfahan, Iran.

BACKGROUND: As the first experience of substance abuse often starts in adolescence, and studies have shown that drug use is mainly related to cigarette and alcohol consumption, an initial exploration of substance abuse prevalence, including cigarette and alcohol, seems to be the first step in preventing and controlling drug consumption. This study aimed to explore studies on drug use among high school students by investigating articles published in the past decade in Iran. METHODS: In this study, the databases inside the country were used to access articles related to substance abuse by students during 2001-2011, among which 7 articles on 14-19 years old high school students were studied. RESULTS: The seven studied articles showed that the highest drug use prevalence pertained to cigarette and hookah, followed by alcohol, opium, ecstasy, hashish and heroin. Opium and heroin use in Kerman city were, respectively, about 4 and 5 times of their use in other studied cities. CONCLUSIONS: Drug use is relatively high in the adolescent and effective group of the society, which requires particular attention and prompt and immediate intervention.

Determinants of drug abuse in high school students and their related knowledge and attitude.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the current study is to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of high school students toward addicting drugs. Thus, the interventions, which are more appropriate for this age group can be designed and applied. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2009 in Isfahan province. The study population was high school students, who were randomly selected by multi-stage cluster sampling. The evaluation tool was an author-devised questionnaire, which was filled out by the students. The data obtained was analyzed using SPSS software, version 16. FINDINGS: Among 6998 students who filled out the questionnaire, 50.1% were female. The mean knowledge scores were 58.7 +/- 10.3 and 57.9 +/- 10.2 for girls and boys, respectively, which were significantly different (p = 0.002). Considering the scores students obtained in attitude toward inclination to drug abuse, the most important factors in this regard were parents' divorce, familial conflicts, seeking pleasure, adolescents' curiosity, availability of the drugs, peer pressure, low levels of self-confidence, psychological disorders, and strict parents. CONCLUSION: With respect to the results obtained, promoting the knowledge and modifying the attitude of students, and increasing their self-confidence particularly in schools can play an important role in decreasing drug abuse in this age group. Moreover, policymakers should consider the strategies, which can support the family structure and reduce the harms in unstable families.