Prevalence of behavioral disorders among adolescent students of Zanjan province (2009-2010)

Abstract

Background: Given the importance of behavioral disorders in adolescents as a substantial public health problem in our country, understanding the prevalence of these disorders among adolescents is an essential component of health policies for provision of mental health and other services. Objective: This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of emotional and behavioral disorders among high school adolescents of Zanjan province. Methods: This prevalence study was conducted in (2009-2010) on 750 high school adolescents of Zanjan province with a mean age of 15.36±0.5 years. Data was collected from teachers in the end of the school year using the standardized Teacher's Report Form (TRF) with a 95.5% response rate. Findings: The total prevalence of behavioral symptoms was 27.8%, with 27.3% for girls and 28.3% for boys. The difference between the two sexes was not significant. Nevertheless, the prevalence rate of "Anxious/Depressed" syndrome was higher in girls than boys (P