spatial distribution of mental health based on geographic information system in ilam

Introduction: the use of geographical information systems in the field of mental health has increased significantly in recent years. geographic information system (gis) has brought about positive changes by identifying geospatial hotspots and disease hotspots and by linking mental health to the physical and geographic environment. the purpose of this research was the investigation of mental health based on geographical information systems in ilam.materials & methods: the present study was a descriptive-analytical study. the sample size was 507 participants that were selected by the clustering sampling method. the instrument used was the general health questionnaire (ghq 28). to analyze different statistical tests, including descriptive statistics (frequency, percent), inferential statistics (t-test), and analysis of variance, were employed. the spss v.21 version software was used at the significant level of less than 0.01.results:  there was a significant difference between females and males, with females having more negative mental health compared to males (p<0.002). the results suggested that 37 and 10 of the subjects have had mental health scores higher than 22 and 40, respectively. they have a risk of disorder based on the cut-off point of the questionnaire. also, subjects' mental health score distribution is displayed on the maps. the result showed that there is a significant difference between marital status and mental health score (p<0.01).conclusion:  given that females with negative mental health are geographically more likely to be found on the outskirts of the city and in centers and bases that suffer from social and welfare inequalities, measures should be taken to eliminate these inequalities.