Objective: To identify the prevalence of common mental disorders and associated factors in school adolescents.
Method: Cross-sectional study with 230 adolescents from a public school in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. We used a questionnaire and an assessment scale for common mental disorders. The data were processed in STATA, version 12.
Results: The prevalence of common mental disorders in schoolchildren was 52.2%. Multivariate analysis identified a positive association with statistical significance between the condition and the variables:female gender (PR = 3.06; 95% CI: 1.77-5.4), black race (PR = 2.08; 95% CI: 1.04-4.16),having a boyfriend (PR = 2.07; 95% CI: 1.06-4.03) and smoking cigarettes once in a lifetime (PR = 2.88; 95% CI : 1.31 - 6.31). The school increase (OR = 0.52; 95% CI: 0.29-0.91) was identified as a protective factor.
Conclusion: Female gender, black race, having a relationship, and having smoked cigarettes are factors that increase the chances of adolescents having common mental disorders.