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Impairment and Distress Judgments of Symptoms Composing Childhood Externalizing and Internalizing Syndromes

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Abstract

The pattern of perceived dysfunction associated with symptoms composing the externalizing childhood disorder syndrome was compared to the pattern characterizing the internalizing syndrome. In Study 1, undergraduate students (N = 205) judged the social impairment, academic/occupational impairment and personal distress associated with symptoms from the child and adolescent psychopathology scale (Lahey et al. 2004) related to externalizing and internalizing syndromes. As predicted, symptoms composing the externalizing syndrome were judged as involving less personal distress and more impairment than those composing the internalizing syndrome. Converging findings emerged in Study 2 when undergraduates (N = 183) judged DSM-IV symptoms composing externalizing and internalizing disorders. This research reveals systematic differences in perceptions of impairment and distress related to the symptoms that compose the externalizing and internalizing syndromes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Grant MacEwan College, P.O. Box 1796, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T5J 2P2

    Andrew J. Howell & David C. Watson

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  1. Andrew J. Howell
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  2. David C. Watson
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Correspondence to Andrew J. Howell.

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Howell, A.J., Watson, D.C. Impairment and Distress Judgments of Symptoms Composing Childhood Externalizing and Internalizing Syndromes. J Child Fam Stud 18, 172–182 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-008-9217-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-008-9217-y

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