Association between Aggressive Behaviors, Life Satisfaction, Self-rated Health and Counseling with Family Members among Children and Adolescents: The CASPIAN- IV Study

Objectives: This study aims to assess the relationship between the frequency of aggressive behaviors, life satisfaction (LS) and self- rated health (SRH) and counseling with family members in a representative sample of Iranian children and adolescents. Methods: In this nationwide study, 14880 school students, aged 6-18 years, wereselected by cluster and stratified multi-stage sampling method from 30 provinces inIran. The World Health Organization Global School-based Health Survey questionnaire(WHO-GSHS) was used.Mental disorders were assessed through the WHO-GSHSquestionnaire that consisted of worthless, angriness, anxiety, insomnia, confusion, depression, and worried.Results:.The results showed that 45.7% of boys and 44.8% of girls share their problem with their brother or sister. The prevalence of physical fight, victim, and bully was not different in children and adolescents who consulted with their brother or sister compared with those who did not consult (p> 0.05). In addition, 60.4% of boys and 66.0% of girls share their problems with friends. Physical fight and bully were less prevalent in children and adolescents who consulted with their friends compared with those who did not consult (p< 0.001). According to this study, the prevalence of LS and SRH “good” was also lower in children and adolescents who share their problem with their father or mother compared with those who did not consult (p< 0.001).Conclusion:Children and adolescents should be encouraged to consult with their parents about their problems. Parents should offer their children an opportunity to express their views and wishes about their problems.