Zahra khalvati - Student of Nutrition Sciences, Student Research Committee, Shooshtar School of Medical Sciences, Shooshtar, Iran
Donya Hafizi Nia - Student of Nursing, Student Research Committee, Shooshtar School of Medical Sciences, Shooshtar, Iran
Kobra Dosti Far - Instructor, Department of Public Health, Shooshtar School of Medical Sciences, Shooshtar, Iran

Background and purpose: Mental disorders are a group of disorders that can cause discomfort or disabilities by affecting one s thinking and behavior. The World HealthOrganization has reported that about 2 percent of adults suffer from mental disorders. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the mental health of the elderly inShooshtar and its relationship with some social factors. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study that was conducted on 3 elderly people in Shooshtar including 2 females and 2 males. Demographic information questionnaires and GHQ-28 General Health Questionnaire were distributed among the subjects to assess mental health status. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test were used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed that 68.65% of the elderly had general disorder. 6.4% suffered from depression and 3.6% from anxiety. There was a statistically significant relationship between mental health and factors such as economic status p = 0.001, educational level p = 0.002, gender p = 0.004, marital status p = 0.001 and social participation rate p = 0.003. Conclusion: Since mental disorders are one of the most important problems in old age and are observed in almost all age groups, more attention should be paid to mental health phenomenon in the elderly.

Aging, Mental Health, Mental Disorders, Anxiety