Research in Medicine

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Background: With regard to the relation of exposure to electromagnetic field and disorders in some biological systems and also with respect to the increasing development of these fields, the present study was conducted on 101 employees in high voltage centers in Tehran in 2001 to determine the role of occupation in extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields on mental health. Materials and methods: 101 individuals who were employed in electromagnetic fields at 50Hz frequency as a result of 230 KV current (case group) and 101 matched controls, (personnel of the administrative section), with no history of working in high voltage centers, entered this historical cohort study. Mental health status was examined using three choice GHQ-28 test utilizing cut off point of 17. Individuals who had received score of >17 were considered "probably unhealthy". Results: All 202 examined individuals were male and aged over 18 years. Of these, 17% in the control and 32.7% in the case group were revealed to be "probably unhealthy", (P<0.01). The relative risk of working in these fields raised the incidence of mental unhealthiness by 1.9 times (2.1-3.1 in community, p<0.05). Conclusion: Working in electromagnetic fields at extremely low frequency increases the incidence of mental unhealthiness. In spite of suitable validity and reliability of GHQ-28 test, according to many domestic and foreign studies, researches including clinical interview are recommended. With regard to their high risk job and the importance of mental health for good performance, paying further attention to their mental health, screening and timely treatment of patients is suggested.

Keywords: Mental health, Electromagnetic fields at extremely low frequency, High voltage centers, GHQ test

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