A comparative study on mental health problems of talented junior and ordinary high school students in Semnan, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Mental health in students is related to several factors. The study was conducted to investigate the mental health problems of talented students in special schools and students from ordinary ones in Semnan province in Iran (2019). Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study using cluster sampling, a group of junior high school students were evaluated using the strengthens and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) for evaluation of mental health in five domains: emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems and prosocial behavior. Results: From 24 selected public schools, 624 students (304 boys and 320 girls) participated in the study. The relative frequency of problems in special schools (291 people) was 18.6% (95% CI: 14.1 to 23.0) and in ordinary schools (331 people) was 30% (95% CI: 25.1 to 34.9) (P