Background and Aim: Mental health of individual is the most important factor for achievement of national and ideal goals in a community. Considering close relationship of hospital staff with patients and their role in promotion of mental health, identifying patients at risk of psychological disorders and referring them to  special centers to receive medical assistance, it seems to be necessary to evaluate the mental health status of hospital staff. Therefore, this study was planned to assess mental health status and its related factors among medical and non medical staff in the hospitals of Sanandaj in 1385.

Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive analytic study. The population target included all permenant employees with experience of working for more than one year in the hospitals of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences in Sanandaj in 1385, and sample size included 506 subjects who entered into the study by use of stratified multi stage random sampling. After explaining the goals of the study to the subjects and getting their written consent, they entered into the study.  Data were collected by means of a standard general health questionnaire and population information questionnaire. Collected data were introduced into SPSS software and analyzed by means of x2 and T tests.

Results: In general the prevalence of mental health disorders among the subjects in our study was 42.1% 47.2%, 38.7% and 25.5% in Besat (General hospital), Tohid (General hospital), Ghods (Psychiatric hospital) hospitals respectively. There was a significant relationship between gender, place of work, income, and educational level with mental health status (p<0.05). There was not any significant relationship between age and job categories (p>0.05).  Prevalence of anxiety and sleep disorder, depression and tendency to commit suicide, social dysfunction and somatization were 5.6%, 2.9%, 6.1%, and 5.9% respectively, which social dysfunction was the most and depression was the least prevalent disorders.

Conclusion: In order to prevent and modify mental disorders among hospital staff, it seems necessary to sketch plans for occupational support and counseling, psychological assistance, together with boosting the income of the staff with improvement of their life facilities, and considering hardship payment for hard works and close interaction with authorities of mental health.  

 

Conflict of Interest: Nill

Received: July 26, 2008      Accepted: August 18, 2008