Social determinants of self-reported emotional and behavioral problems in Greek adolescents

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the social factors associated with self-reported emotional and behavioral problems among Greek adolescents. METHODS: At age 18, a population-based sample of 3373 Greek adolescents completed the Youth Self-Report (YSR) questionnaire. RESULTS: The results from the multivariate analysis indicated that both lack of intimate friendships and not having parental monitoring were independently associated with problem behavior among both male and female adolescents. Engagement in sexual activities was significantly associated with higher YSR scores among both genders. Absence of academic motivation was associated with higher YSR scores in girls only. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm that social factors, including negative family functions, lack of academic motivation and not having close friends, were associated with emotional and behavioral problems among adolescents and imply the need to develop a supportive social network for adolescents.