The Study of Distress Factors among 13 –year- old Adolescents (selecting from guidance schools in Kermanshah City 2001 )

Introduction: Mental health has an important role in preventing psychosomatic disease, aggression and chronic stress in adolescents, for this reason this study conducted to evaluate distress factors among 13 –year- old adolescents in the selected guidance schools in  Kermanshah City.

Materials and Methods :In this descriptive–Analytic study, 664 students (13–year- old boys and girls)were selected randomly from guidance schools in Kermanshah City. For data collection a two-part questionnaire called “ Feel  bad  scale”, by Lewis et al, was employed. The first part was related to the intensity of stress and the second part to the studying the frequency of occurrence of distress factors during 2001.

Results : A significant difference was observed between the intensity and frequency of occurrence of distress factors concerning items such  as , parents conflict, being ignored or punished by teachers, being under pressure to do something new, being late for school, and not having done the homework on time ( P<0/001). It was also a significant difference between sex and frequency of occurrence of the items such as conflict with parents, not spending enough time with parents, not being good enough at sports and being overweight. Finally, in almost all the items stress rate was reported to be higher among girls than that of boys (P<0/001).

Discussion :This study showed that the physiological and psychological reactions arisen from distress factors can be prevented by giving instructional program to parents and teachers regarding to have suitable behaviour towards adolescents.