1 Abstract Türk Psikiyatri Dergisi 2008; 19(4): Turkish Journal of Psychiatry Objective: The study aimed at investigating the prevalence of and factors related to depression in high school students. Method: A total of 805 (n = 367 girls; n = 438 boys) first year students from three high schools in the city of Aydin filled in a self-report questionnaire that contained questions about socio-demographics, academic achievement and religious belief. It included also a depression rating scale, social support scale, problem solving inventory and an assertiveness scale. T-tests, chi-square tests, Pearson moment products correlation coefficients, and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Results: 141 students (17.5%) scored on and above the cut-off point on the Children Depression Inventory (CDI). In the first regression analyses low self-esteem, low grade point average (GPA) and low perceived social support from friends in boys, and low self-esteem, low paternal educational level and low social support from friends were the predictors of girls’ depression. When self-esteem scores were excluded, low GPA, low perceived social support from friends and family, and inefficient problem solving skills were predictors of depression in boys; low perceived social support from friends and family, low paternal educational level, and inefficient problem solving skills were the independent predictors of depression in girls. Conclusion: Depression is prevalent in high school students. Low self-esteem, low perceived social support from peers and family, and inefficient problem solving skills appears to be risk factors for adolescent depression. Low GPA for boys and low paternal education for girls were gender specific risk factors. Psychosocial interventions geared for increasing self-esteem, social support and problem solving skills may be effective in the prevention and treatment of adolescent depression. Key Words: Adolescence, depression, self-esteem, assertiveness, social support, problem solving Prevalence of and Factors Related to Depression in High School Students Mehmet ESKİN, Kamil ERTEKİN, Hacer HARLAK, Çiğdem DEREBOY Received: 19.06.2007 – Accepted: 18.01.2008 Mehmet Eskin MD., e-mail: meskin@adu.edu.tr INTRODUCTION The word adolescence is derived from the Latin word, adolescere, which means to grow up and to grow hairy, and signifies a stage of life during which biologi- cal, psychological, and social changes gain momentum and interact intensively with each other (Hamburg and Takanishi, 1989). In this period an adolescent endeavors to gain a place in the social world, and draws up and realizes his/her personal plans and objectives at the same time. When the number of areas and the speed of change to which adolescents must adapt increase in compari- son to childhood, the number of teenagers with mental health problems rises accordingly (Kim, 2003). Current- ly, more adolescents are reported to suffer from mental health problems than compared to the past (Collishaw et al., 2004). Depression is the most significant mental health problem of adolescence (Whiting, 1981; Petersen et al., 1993; Hamrin and Pachler, 2005; Dopheide, 2006;). The prevalence of depression in this period is reported to vary from 5% to 20% (Lewinsohn et al., 2000; Mel- nyk et al., 2003; Saluja et al., 2004). In contrast to its rare prevalence in childhood, the prevalence of depres- sion rises markedly in adolescence. While the prevalence of depression is lower than 3% in childhood, this rate reaches 14% in adolescence (Lewinsohn et al., 1998). Adolescent depression brings about similar consequences as does adult depression. Depression both causes disabil-