EMOTIONAL DISTRESS IN ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIC-INPATIENTS - DIRECT AND INDIRECT MEASURES

This study examined whether adolescent male psychiatric inpatients wer e less likely than comparable female inpatients to communicate their f eelings on direct measures of emotional distress. Ninety-one adolescen t psychiatric inpatients were assessed using the Rorschach, the Minnes ota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, and other measures of emotional distress. In general, male and female subjects reported highly simila r levels and patterns of distress whether direct or indirect measures were used. Although the direct measures showed evidence of convergent validity, the indirect measures were largely uncorrelated with each ot her and with the direct measures. These results suggest that the asses sment of emotional distress in both male and female adolescent inpatie nts is best facilitated by the use of direct measures.