Epidemiology of Psychiatric Disorders among Children and Adolescents in Kohgiloyeh and Boyer- Ahmad Province, Iran

Background and Objective: Given the growing rate of psychiatric disorders, especially in young populations, detailed data on frequency of these disorders for further national public health strategiesis of great importance.We aimed to survey the frequency of different psychiatric disorders among children and adolescents in Kohgiloyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province. Materials and Methods: 1001 cases were selected using the random cluster sampling method and all cases were interviewed by expert psychologists using a Persian version of semi- structured K-SADS-PL questionnaire. Data were then statistically analyzed by SPSS software. Results: 20.5% (205 out of 1001) of studied cases showed at least one psychiatric disorder and 79.5 % showed no sign of any disorders. Anxiety disorders were the most frequent disorders  (15.5%) followed by the behavioral disorders (7%), smoking and drug abuse (6%), behavioral disorders (2.4%) and neurodevelopmental disorders (2%), but no case was observed with psychosis. Conclusion: in comparison with other studies from Iran or other countries the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Kohgiloyeh and Boyer-Ahmad is relatively high and special policies and efforts are suggested for enhancement of mental health values in this region.