ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To explore the mental health condition of primary and middle school students in Changsha and to provide reference for future evaluation or intervention.@*METHODS@#Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) (the edition for parents) was used to investigate 737 primary and middle school students aged 6-17 in Changsha.@*RESULTS@#The prevalence of difficulty was 14.11%. The males showed higher scores of problem, hyperactivity and impact, while the females scored higher in emotional symptom as well as prosocial behaviors. Students aged 11-13 and 14-17 showed higher scores of total difficulties, peer problems and emotional symptom than those aged 6-10. Apart from higher scores of total difficulties and peer problems, the other scores were similar to the normal scores in China. there was significant difference in the normal scores between china and other countries.@*CONCLUSION@#mental health problems have divergent characters in gender and age. This study also highlights the importance of establishing local norms of SDQ and the need for appropriate measures in practical situations.