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Physical and emotional symptoms and campus health center utilization

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Summary

Physical and emotional symptoms and visits to the campus health centers were assessed for freshmen on two university campuses. Strikingly high prevalence rates of physical and emotional complaints were found on both campuses. Utilization rates for the two campuses illustrate the relative independence of symptom complaints and use of the health center. Health center utilization on Campus A was predicted, separately for illness and injuries, using background variables, propensity to utilize health services, and initial complaints of physical symptoms. The results show that it is possible to identify a “high risk” group likely to be frequent health center users.

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This research was supported in part by NIMH Grant MH16026 and NIAAA Grant AA02863. We wish to thank Alan DeYoung and Penny Smail for facilitating the data collection.

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Moos, R.H., Van Dort, B. Physical and emotional symptoms and campus health center utilization. Soc Psychiatry 12, 107–115 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00578970

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