Abstract

Objectives: The objectives of this project was to conduct an epidemiological study of psychiatric disorders in people aged 18 or older residing in urban and rural areas of Tehran province.

Method:5311 residents of Tehran province were selected randomly and through systematic clustered sampling method as the subjects of the study. They were assessed by Schedule for Affective Dis-orders and Schizophrenia Questionnaire (SADS). The diagnosis of disorders was based on DSM-IV classification criteria.

Findings:Prevalence of psychiatric disorders was at 14.29% in province of Tehran.The prevalence was 19.57% in women and 9.32% in men. Anxiety and mood disorders were the most prevalent psychiatric disorders with 6.83% and 4.46% respectively. The prevalence of psychotic disorders was 0.65% neuro-cognitive disorders were at 2.11% and dissociative disorders were at 0.26%. In the mood disorders, major depression had the highest rate of diagnosis (3.28%) in anxiety dis-orders, panic disorder had the highest rate (1.79%).

Results: Psychiatric disorders are more prevalent in the 41-55 year age-group, widowers, illiterates, and residents of the other province’s towns than Tehran.The results of this research revealed more than ever the responsibility of the policy makers and health program planners in the province of Tehran in regard to compilation and execution of a practical mental health plan.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Social Distance and Dangerousness scales used for studying stigma of severe mental illnesses. Method: In a cross sectional study, Social Distance and Dangerousness scales were administered to 200 mental health workers of Razi Psychiatry Hospital who were selected through random sampling procedure. The reliability of the scales was assessed through internal consistency and test-retest procedures.  The content and construct validity were also assessed. Results: Cronbach’s alpha for the Social Distance and Dangerousness scales were 0.92 and 0.96, respectively. Test-retest reliability coefficients for the two scales were 0.89 and 0.88, respectively. The content validity coefficients of the scales were 0.75 and 0.77. Factor analysis of each scale yielded one factor. The social rejection factor accounted for 76% of the Social Distance scale and the dangerousness factor accounted for 74% of the Dangerousness scale. Conclusion: The results indicate that the Persian version of the Social Distance and Dangerousness scales have satisfactory psychometric properties and can be used to measure the stigma of severe mental illness in Iran.