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Family dysfunction has been reported as an established risk factor for the development of mental health problems among adolescents. However, little is known whether this finding can be replicated in Cyprus as previous research has been conducted mostly in the UK, USA and Australia. Furthermore, studies that compare family dysfunction among adolescents in community and clinical settings are rare. Thus, the main aim of this Thesis is to compare the frequency of mental health problems among adolescents, and to investigate the impact of family attachment, functioning and communication. The present research consists of three studies using a mixed-method research design. A total of 737 adolescents from public schools and mental health units were recruited for study 1 and 2. Adolescents completed a set of questionnaires that measure mental health problems and family factors. The third study used a qualitative research design and involved interviewing 20 adolescents from both settings and their parents. Results revealed that 11.4 % of the adolescents from a community settin