ERIC Number: EJ683247
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-May-1
Pages: 14
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1537-4416
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Available Date: N/A
Stressors and Child and Adolescent Psychopathology: Measurement Issues and Prospective Effects
Grant, Kathryn E.; Compas, Bruce E.; Thurm, Audrey E.; McMahon, Susan D.; Gipson, Polly Y.
Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, v33 n2 p412-425 May 2004
This article reviews existing research on the association between stressors and symptoms of psychopathology in children and adolescents with a focus on measurement issues and prospective effects. The first half of the article focuses on the measurement of stressors, emphasizing checklists and interviews. Available measures of stressful experiences are reviewed and critiqued. Results of this review reveal both substantial progress (i.e., development of valid stressor assessment tools) and remaining problems (i.e., inconsistent measurement across studies). The second half of this article reviews studies that have tested for prospective associations between stressors and symptoms of psychopathology in children and adolescents. Studies that have examined the prospective effects of recent or prior stressors on current psychological symptoms, while controlling for prior psychological symptoms, are reviewed. Results overall suggest that stressors predict changes in rates of symptoms of psychopathology in children and adolescents over time. Results also suggest that symptoms of psychopathology predict changes in rates of stressors over time. Implications of these findings are that conclusive evidence now exists for the importance of stressors in the development of child and adolescent psychopathology.
Descriptors: Psychopathology, Adolescents, Clinical Diagnosis, Stress Variables, Children, Measurement Techniques, Psychological Patterns, Predictor Variables, Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Journal Subscription Department, 10 Industrial Avenue, Mahwah, NJ 07430-2262. Tel: 800-926-6579 (Toll Free); e-mail: journals@erlbaum.com.
Publication Type: Information Analyses; Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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