Factors related to mental health of students in Zabol University of Medical Sciences

Background and Aims: One of the themes of community health assessment is the mental health. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between mental health and related factors on freshmen of Zabol University of Medical Sciences.Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 335 freshmen of Zabol University with different academic disciplines and levels of study participated. Data was collected from personal data questionnaire and student mental health Goldberg's General 28-question. SPSS16 statistical software was used for data analysis and frequency distributions, and methods of descriptive and inferential statistics, including t-test and ANOVA were used. %95 of the results were reported.Results: Mental Health Status Questionnaire scores of males and females, were respectively, 14.68 ± 10.59 and 21.08 ± 14.23 in which there was a statistically significant correlation (P>0.05). %26.56 of students scored above the cut-off score in mental health. Results showed that, between the public health and demographic variables (marital status, quota and residence) there is no significant correlation (P> 0.05) and the variable of gender was the only significant factor (P = 0.0001). Results showed statistically significant association between the public health and Field of Study (P =0.0001) and Degree (p=0.009).Conclusion: Considering the high prevalence of mental disorders in students entering the university, it is essential to have mental health promotion plans.Specifically, life skills education in schools is needed to enhance their skills, abilities and mental capacity not mere knowledge. *Corresponding Author: Zahra Afshari. MSc, Educational Psychology, Counseling Psychology, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran.Email: zahraafshari1526@yahoo.co