Background: While in the last 5 years several studies have been conducted in Italy on the prevalence of mental disorders in adults, to date no epidemiological study has been targeted on mental disorders in adolescents.
Method: A two-phase study was conducted on 3,418 participants using the child behavior checklist/6-18 (CBCL) and the development and well-being assessment (DAWBA), a structured interview with verbatim reports reviewed by clinicians.
Results: The prevalence of CBCL caseness and DSM-IV disorders was 9.8% (CI 8.8-10.8%) and 8.2% (CI 4.2-12.3%), respectively. DSM-IV Emotional disorders were more frequently observed (6.5% CI 2.2-10.8%) than externalizing disorders (1.2% CI 0.2-2.3%). In girls, prevalence estimates increased significantly with age; furthermore, living with a single parent, low level of maternal education, and low family income were associated with a higher likelihood of suffering from emotional or behavioral problems.
Conclusions: Approximately one in ten adolescents has psychological problems. Teachers and clinicians should focus on boys and girls living with a single parent and/or in disadvantaged socioeconomic conditions.