en مقاله اصيل پژوهشي Orginal Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background</strong>: Limited information still exists about the distribution of mental health (MH) in small districts. Considering the diversity in cultural specifications of entities in different societies, the current study aimed-assess the inequality of poor MH and corresponding socio-demographic components in a general population.<br> <strong>Methods</strong>: This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Gonabad City, North Eastern Iran. Data were collected by a general health questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) assess MH status, considering a cut-off point of 23. The concentration index defines the inequality in the MH. Decomposition analysis was done-identify the contribution of each explanatory variable-the socioeconomic inequality in MH prevalence.<br> <strong>Results</strong>: Eight hundred subjects were recruited (response rate=98%); approximately 41.6% were aged 30 years or younger, half of whom were females. The overall prevalence of poor MH was 24.7% (95% CI: 21.8-27.9%) and the age-adjusted prevalence of poor MH was 27.5% (95% CI: 24.2-31.2%). A concentration of poor MH prevalence was observed among the poorest people (concentration index: -0.15). Socioeconomic Status (SES) (59.7%), age (24.1%), and gender (4.7%) were identified as the main contributors-socioeconomic-related inequality in poor MH prevalence.<br> <strong>Conclusion</strong>: Poor MH is significantly concentrated among the poorest people. Therefore, SES appeared-play a key role in improving the health of individuals, which can lead-improved health status in a community. Furthermore, these data suggest that the MH initiative should target the elderly and women via a recently determined family physician plan in Iran.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</div> Mental health, Mental disorder, Concentration index, Socioeconomic inequality, Cross-sectional study 11 18 http://jrh.gmu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-100-7&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Vajihe Armanmehr varmanmehr@gmail.com 0919360149 100319475328460025834 No Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Science, Gonabad, Iran. Zohreh Shahghasemi shahghasemi@gmail.com 100319475328460025835 100319475328460025835 No Social Development & Health Promotion Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Science, Gonabad, Iran. Ali Alami dralemi@yahoo.com 100319475328460025836 100319475328460025836 No Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, School of Public Health, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran. Sahar Babasafari phd2020@yahoo.com 100319475328460025837 100319475328460025837 No Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran. Shahab Rezaeian shahab.rezayan@gmail.com 100319475328460025838 100319475328460025838 Yes Infectious Diseases Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.