Study: 12 percent of Israeli teens have a mental health disorder

A new Health Ministry study by researchers from Israel, Britain and the United States has found that 12 percent of adolescents in Israel suffer from a recognized psychological disorder.

Among the most common disorders are depression (3.3 percent), attention deficit disorders (3 percent) specific phobias (2.5 percent) and rebellious behavior disorder, which includes aggressive conduct toward parents (1.8 percent).

Girls were diagnosed more frequently than boys with separation anxiety (2 percent of girls, as opposed to 1.3 percent of boys), specific phobias (3.7 percent of girls, as opposed to 1.4 percent of boys) and depression (4.7 percent of girls, compared to 1.8 percent of boys). Post-traumatic symptoms were found in 1.8 percent of the girls and none of the boys.

The study interviewed 957 teens aged from 14 to 17 and their mothers, living in 292 communities of over 2,000 residents.

Among other findings, boys were more frequently diagnosed with attention deficit conditions than girls (3.9 percent of boys, compared to 2 percent of girls). Personality disorders expressed in a tendency to criminal behavior were found in 1.4 percent of boys, compared to 0.4 percent of girls.

Arab Israeli teens were more frequently diagnosed than Jews with separation anxiety (3 percent of Arabs compared to 2.4 percent of Jews).

According to the study, findings in Israel were comparable to those from other Western countries.