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Aim and Background: Individuals are faced with numerous stressful life events which can negatively influence their mental health. Many individuals use smoking as a means of confronting stress. Given the relatively high prevalence of smoking in central Iran, the present study was conducted to compare stress levels in smokers, non-smokers, and those who had quit smoking. Methods and Materials: This study was conducted as part of Isfahan Healthy Heart Program on 9752 individuals in the cities of Isfahan, Arak, and Najaf Abad in 2008. Sampling was performed using multistage cluster randomization method. Data on age, sex, demographic characteristics, and smoking status was collected through interviews. Stress level was detected by General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Logistic regression analysis and chi-square test were used for data analysis. Findings: In the present study, 30% of non-smokers, 32.1% ex-smokers, and 36.9% of smokers scored 4 and higher (P = 0.01) in the GHQ. In regression analysis, the final model which was controlled for age, sex, socioeconomic status (including place of residence, marital status, and education) showed that the odds ratio of stress in smokers and ex-smokers was significantly higher than non-smokers (OR = 1.66 and OR = 1.12, respectively). Conclusions: Conducted studies revealed mental problems and stresses to be significantly related with smoking. Therefore, interventions are required to reduce the prevalence of smoking in the community through interventions which provide correct methods of coping with stress.

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Aim and Background: Previous studies suggest that mental stress may influence serum lipid levels. This study was conducted on adult population living in rural and urban areas in central Iran to assess the correlation between stress levels and lipid profile disorders. Methods and Materials: Data was extracted from final evaluation of Isfahan Healthy Heart Program (IHHP) in 2008. Multistage cluster random sampling was used. The study population consisted of 9752 adults aged ≥ 19 years living in 3 cities of Isfahan, Arak and Najaf Abad. Demographic data, age, and sex were recorded. Blood samples were taken to determine lipid levels including total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglyceride. Stress levels were assessed using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Logistic regression analysis and chi-square test were used for statistical analyses. Findings: After adjustment for age and sex, the odds ratios of high stress in individuals with high levels of TC and LDL-C and low levels of HDL-C were respectively 1.11 (1.08, 1.27), 1.13 (1.04, 1.24), and 1.12 (1.08, 1.28) compared to normal individuals. Conclusions: According to the relationship between lipid profile disorders and stress levels, special attention needs to be paid to psychological and environmental issues to treat lipid profile disorders.

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Aim and Background: Improving the quality of life is the main goal of managements for all diseases. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between quality of life and symptom severity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Methods and Materials: Based on physician diagnosis using Rome III criteria, 225 patients with irritable bowel syndrome who were visited in a psychosomatic clinic in Isfahan, Iran were recruited. All the selected cases completed the irritable bowel syndrome-quality of life (IBS-QOL) and irritable bowel syndrome severity index (IBS-SI) questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Findings: 65 (28.9%) patients were males and 160 (71.1%) were females with mean age of 38.6 ± 12.3 years and mean disease duration of 5.1 ± 4.3 years. Mean score of IBS-QOL and IBS-SI was 43.4 ± 20.7 and 238.9 ± 95.4, respectively. IBS-QOL score and IBS-SI score had a statistically significant positive correlation. Conclusions: The quality of life was inversely related to severity of symptoms in patients with IBS.

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Introduction: Man confronts crisis and problems during his life and sometimes because of several pressures commits suicide to escape and save himself. Suicide occurs in all classes of the society. Some of the demographic and social variables affecting suicide attempt are: age, sex, marital status, job, economic problems, communication and emotional problems, mental disorders and physical illness. Matrial and methods: This was a descriptive- analytic study carried out on 466 suicidal cases during a year in which the samplings referred to the emergency unit of Emam Khomeini hospital. Method of data collection was a questionnaire which was completed through the interviews. Raw data were analyzed by the SpSS software. Results: There was a significant difference between the following facetors: age(P=0/26), education (p=0), sex (p<0/05), marital status ( p=0/037), economic stress (p=0/001), job stress (p=0), marital and sexual stress (p=0) and suicide attempt. Conclusion: Communication and emotional problems especially in women and economic&nbsp; and job stress in men had the greatest role in suicide attempt in Falavarjan. Due to the sudden suicide attempt and the age group at risk of suicide -15-24 year- it is characterized that emotional immaturity lack of commuincation and poor problem solving skills - especially in these ages - can be involved in suicide attempt .