Background The prevalence of psychiatric disorders by demographic characteristics in elderly people is poorly understood, at least in the northwest of Iran. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of various psychiatric disorders in the elderly population in East Azerbaijan Province, Tabriz. A total of 1000 aging people were randomly selected from the general population. Data were collected using valid structured instruments and face-to-face interviews by trained psychologists. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR (SCID-IV) and Abbreviated Mental Test Questionnaire were used. Chi-square (χ2) test was used for categorized variables, and an independent T-test was carried out for quantitative variables. Results Overall, 38.5% of the elderly had at least one mental disorder (47.2% women, 27.3% men). The prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) and any anxiety disorders was 16.6% (22.4% female and 9.3% male) and 16.7% (23.1% female and 8.6% male), respectively. Likewise, the overall prevalence of any depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), general anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and panic disorders were 21.6%, 7%, 5.3%, and 5.9%, respectively. The prevalence of any mental disorder in the first, second, and third quartiles of the socio-economic level was 54.3%, 37%, and 17.8%, respectively. The prevalence of any mental disorders among the marginalized and the non-marginalized population is 55.3 and 31.5%, respectively. Conclusions We found 38.5% (47.2% women, 27.3% men) of the elderly people had any mental disorders, and 21.6% of them had any depressive disorders. The prevalence of mental disorders in elders was almost like adults and middle-aged people in this study. However, the prevalence of mental disorders was higher than in marginalized population and low socio-economic status.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the psychopathology of parents of autistic children based on clinical personality disorders. Methodology:In this is a cross-sectional study,130 parents of autistic children were selected from autism community rehabilitation centers in Tabriz, Iran and 154 parents of the mentally healthy children were selected as controls. Diagnostic interview based on DSM-IV-TR criteria was used to diagnose autism by two child and adolescent psychiatrists. The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III) was used to evaluate parents' personality profiles. Results:The frequency of having personality disorders was higher in the parents of autistic children than controls (p<0.01).The most common psychiatric conditions among parents of autistic children were melancholic personality, persistent depression and negativism (44.6%, 29.2% and 25.4% respectively). Alcohol and substance use and antisocial personality were the least prevalent. Clinical patterns of personality disorders (avoidance, depressed, sadist, negativist, masochist), severe personality pathology (schizotypal, borderline, paranoid), clinical syndromes (generalized anxiety, somatoform, bipolar, persistent depression, PTSD), and severe clinical syndrome (thought disorder, delusional disorder) were higher in parents of autistic children than controls (p<0.05) and prevalence of histrionic personality disorder was lower (p<0.01). Conclusion:Parents of autistic children have higher rate of psychopathology.

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Epidemiological evidence continues to accumulate on the effect of stress and depression with cancer initiation and progression. Depression has been introduced as an independent predictor of increased cancer mortality. Whereas early intervention for depression increases the survival rate. Even some evidence has given prognostic value for depression to predict cancer recurrence and mortality. This article presents current evidence on the correlations of molecular mechanisms of cancer and depression through; I. The evidence shows the role of pre-existing depression and anxiety in the development and progression of cancer. II. The Immune system performs a crucial role in stress, depression, and cancer. III. The role of stress and depression-induced inflammation. IV. The evidence has proposed that cancer may result in depression and the effect of depression on cancer outcome. In conclusion, the importance of preventive interventions to monitor patients’ mental health during cancer treatment is very significant and should not be underestimated. In other words, the initial interventions can improve depressive symptoms and increase cancer survival. On the other hand, by identifying key biomarkers of depression, physicians can identify cancer patients who are at risk for depression or those who may not respond to routine treatments. Understanding how the cancer environment can cause pathophysiological phenomena helps develop new anti-depressant therapies and identify cancer patients that may be present during cancer. It can also help if the patients with cancer are prone to depression.

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