Mental Health and Well-Being in Different Levels of Perceived Discrimination

BACKGROUND: To compare mental health and well-being in different levels of the perceived discrimination among Iranian people living in Tehran. METHOD: Using multi-stage sampling, 1255 subjects with the average age of 45 years and 9 months (including 672 women and 583 men) were selected and they completed all items of the general health questionnaire (GHQ), the social well-being inventory (SWI), personal well-being inventory (PWI), and a question to assess the perceived discrimination. RESULTS: Data analysis by Kruskal-Wallis test revealed that there were significant differences between physical symptoms (χ(2)=5.93, P<0.05) and depression (χ (2)=15.70, P<0.05), the subscales of mental health in different levels of the perceived discrimination. Furthermore, comparing personal well-being scores and its subscales in different levels of the perceived discrimination showed significant differences in personal hygiene (χ(2)=7.20, P<0.05), and security in future (χ(2)=7.60, P<0.05). Emotional well-being (χ(2)=12.25, P<0.05), self-rule (χ(2)=7.45, P<0.05), personal growth (χ(2)=19.87, P<0.05), and psychological well-being (χ(2)= 9.09, P<0.05) were significantly different in different levels of the perceived discrimination, too. Moreover, comparing social well-being in different levels of the perceived discrimination indicated significant differences between social acceptance (χ (2)=14.91, P<0.05), and social participation (χ (2)= 10.91, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Therefore, people are more active in society, increases the possibility of encountering with discrimination and consequently the perception of that.