Assessment of mental health status and some related factors among students of Sabzevar Universities in 2010

Mental health is one of the most important factors that influence aptitude growth of the university students. The purpose of the present study was to assess mental health and some related factors among students of Sabzevar Universities. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 270 students of Universities of Sabzevar in 2010. The subjects were selected using cluster random sampling. The data were collected using GHQ-28. The Cut off point of total score (0-84) was set as 23 and in each item (0-21) was set as 6. In addition, we asked all subjects about social support and parent relationship. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 15.0 software using descriptive and analytical statistics, including t-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation. 105 (39%) students were suspected to have physical or psychological disorders. Frequency of social dysfunction disorders, depression, physical disorders and anxiety were 57.8%, 35.9%, 32.3% and 23.7%, respectively. Frequency of social dysfunction disorders and depression was more prevalent among males and non-domestic students. Also, mean score of physical disorders and depression was higher in students who their parents were separated or their relationships were with the contention (p<0.05). There was a negative correlation between social support to stress(r=-0.134, p<0.05) and depression(r= -0.189, p<0.01). Considering the high frequency of suspected cases of mental disorders in students, more attention to students’ mental health problems and establishment of counseling centers at Universities are necessary.