A Review of Mental Health Indicators in National Studies

Identifying the indicators for mental health is important for evaluation of mental health at various levels of healthcare system. Therefore, the current study aimed to determine the indicators for mental health based on national studies in Iran.
This was a narrative review which was carried out by searching for articles in IranMedex, Magiran, SID, IRANDOC, and Google Scholar databases using keywords such as mental health, mental hygiene, criteria, and indicator between the years 2000 and 2016.
Findings: Reviewing 336 articles, 4 main areas were categorized including psychological area with 34 categories, physical area with 12 categories, cultural and social area with 19 categories, and spiritual area with 9 categories. The highest percentage of articles identified life skills (7.10%) and support (social, emotional, service, and spiritual) (5.05%) as mental health indicators.
By knowing the indicators for mental health, it is possible to design and implement suitable educational packages as preventive programs and even mental health interventions. Relevant authorities in healthcare can use these contents for mental and social health planning.