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Self-reports of emotional distress in a sample of urban black high school students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Ellen W. Freeman ,
Karl Rickels ,
Emily B. H. Mudd ,
George R. Huggins  and
Celso-Ramon Garcia
Ellen W. Freeman*
Affiliation:
Departments of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
Karl Rickels
Affiliation:
Departments of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
Emily B. H. Mudd
Affiliation:
Departments of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
George R. Huggins
Affiliation:
Departments of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
Celso-Ramon Garcia
Affiliation:
Departments of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Ellen W. Freeman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Synopsis

Emotional distress as assessed by the self-report Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL) was examined in a sample of 607 urban black high school students aged 15–18. These adolescents reported high distress primarily about feelings of disadvantage, volatile anger, interpersonal sensitivity and loneliness. Females were significantly more likely than males to indicate emotional distress, although several of the leading distress items were endorsed equally by both groups. Male and female scores across the HSCL factors differed in degree rather than form. The great majority of these adolescents did not report significant emotional distress. These data provide a base from a non-clinical sample for comparison with other adolescent groups where emotional distress may play a role.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , November 1982 , pp. 809 - 817
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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