Prevalence of Behavioral Problems in Middle School and High School Students in the Province of Qom

This study examined the prevalence of behavioral disorders in middle and high school students in the Province of Qom. A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed to investigate 762 students (382 middle and 380 high school students) who were selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data collection was performed suing the Woodworth Personal Data Sheet (WPDS), and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square test. The finding showed that the prevalence of behavioral problems in the total sample, and middle and high school students was 19.82, 22.72, and 17.1%, respectively. The prevalence of behavioral problems was higher in boys versus girls, is the middle school versus the high school, and in urban areas versus rural areas. The aggressive disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder – Psychasthenia had the highest and lowest prevalence in both the middle and high school students, respectively. The educational level of students, parental education, parental divorce, parental death, and family income had significant relationships with behavioral disorders. The prevalence of behavioral problems in the Province of Qom was found to be in the middle range in comparison with other studies conducted within and outside the country. However, attention should be paid to mental health policy-making in adolescents to decrease behavioral problems and prevent future issues.