Sociological Study of Mental Disorders: A Case Study in Arak

According to the announcement of the WHO, mental Disorder is as important as physical health and is affected by a combination of social, psychological and biological components. This study aimed to explain the sociological grounds which affect the mental health of Arak's residents in 2017.
This descriptive-analytic study was conducted on 15-64 year old population living in Arak. To determine the prevalence of mental disorders, general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) and determining the effective sociological parameters on them, questions from Durkheim and Merton's theories were used. The sample size was 384 using Cochran formula and data gathering was done using multi-stage cluster sampling. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23 software.
Findings: Mean and SD of participants’ age was 34±13 years, mean and SD of household size was 1.5±4.5. 98.7% of participants were Shia, 72.9% were urban and 74% owned their home. The total prevalence of mental disorders was 28.9%: 23.31% in men and 34.55% in women. Moreover, the components of immigration, job status, social status, religion, ethnicity, structural and social pressures, family problems, congestion, anomy, traffic problems and social capital were shown to contribute to the risk of mental health and the occurrence of mental disorders.
Regarding the high prevalence of mental disorders in this study, it is recommended that mediating institutions as ethical and legal entities be recognized by the government and try harder to reorganise and realize the individual rights and social cohesion.