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Item Open Access Prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder among a school-based sample of Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip(Arab Journal of Psychiatry, 2014-11) Thabet, Abdelaziz; Elumour, IkramAim: The present study investigated prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorders among Palestinian children in the south Gaza Strip. Methods: Three hundred and eighty eight participants (194 boys, 194 girls), aged 12 to 15 years (M=13.5 years), were selected from eight governmental and United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) preparatory schools. A self-report questionnaire, including sociodemographic scale, was completed. Teachers and parents completed the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV diagnosis of ADHD while parents and their children completed a conduct disorder scale. Results: Parents reported 4.4% of children fulfilled the full criteria of ADHD combined type. According to teachers, 9.8% fulfilled the full criteria of ADHD combined type. ADHD combined type symptoms were higher in boys than girls. Children in governmental schools had more ADHD combined type than in UNRWA schools according to teachers who also rated children living in families with low family monthly income as having more ADHD. Parents reported 15.7% of children had conduct disorder while 17.5% of children self-reported the condition. Boys self-reported had higher levels of conduct disorder than girls, which supported parent ratings. Regarding comorbidity, 6.7% of children rated by parents had inattentive disorder and conduct; 5.2% of children had both conduct and hyperactivity-impulsivity disorder; and, 3.4% had both combined ADHD and conduct disorder. Conclusion: Findings confirmed a strong relationship between ADHD and conduct disorder and provided specific data on the prevalence in Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip. Such findings highlight the need to establish psychosocial rehabilitation programs in schools and community-based centers so children and their families can learn to overcome the adverse impact of such disorders on psychosocial development and academic achievement. Psychoeducation for parents and teachers should focus on early detection of behavioral problems and of alternatives approaches such as behavior modification to deal with such problems.