Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Psychiatry 1735-4587 8 4 2013 12 15 152 9 Mohammad Reza Mohammadi Psychiatry and Psychology Research Center, Roozbeh hospital,Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Soroor Arman Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Javad Khoshhal Dastjerdi Department of Geography, Geographic Sciences and Planning Faculty, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran Maryam Salmanian Psychiatry and Psychology Research Center, Roozbeh hospital,Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Nastaran Ahmadi Clinical Psychiatry Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Ahmad Ghanizadeh Research Center for Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Ali Alavi Research Center for Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Ayyoub Malek Clinical Psychiatry Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Heydar Fathzadeh Gharibeh Clinical Psychiatry Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran Fatemeh Moharreri Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Paria Hebrani Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Ali Motavallian Deputy of Research, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2015 10 14 Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the epidemiology of psychological problems in adolescents in five provinces of Tehran, Khorasan Razavi, Isfahan, East Azerbaijan and Fars in Iran. Methods: In the present cross-sectional and descriptive – analytical study, 5171 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years were selected through multistage cluster sampling method from Tehran, Isfahan, Fars, Khorasan Razavi and East Azarbaijan provinces. The self-report form of Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to obtain the demographic data of each adolescent. Descriptive analysis and 95% confidence interval were used to investigate the relationship between scores of the SDQ questionnaire and demographic factors. Result: Based on the results, the highest prevalence of psychological problems in the five provinces was related to conduct problems (24%), and the lowest prevalence was related to social problems (5.76%). Also, comparison of 95% confidence interval of prevalence of psychological probl ms between the two genders suggested a significant difference only in emotional problems of the self-report version of the SDQ between the two genders. The result revealed no significant difference in the psychological problems of the self-report version of the SDQ between the two age’s groups and between the middle and high school graduates (p≤0.05). Among the 5 provinces, Fars allocated the highest rates of conduct problems (28.4), hyperactivity problems (21.5%) and overall criterion problems (17.3%); Esfahan had the highest rates of emotional problems (9.1%) and problems with peers (8.1%); and Khorasan Razavi had the highest rates of social problems (7.6%). Conclusion: In this study, the highest prevalence of psychological problems in the five provinces was related to conduct problems, and the lowest prevalence was related to social problems. It was determined that girls have more emotional problems than boys. Also, no significant difference was found in the psychological problems of 12 to 14 and 15 to 17  ear old adolescents or between middle and high school graduates. In the current study, the prevalence of psychological problems in adolescents in the urban population in Fars province was higher than expected. https://ijps.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijps/article/view/158 https://ijps.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijps/article/download/158/154