Citation

Scheier LM, Newcomb MD. Psychol. Assess. 1993; 5(2): 230-234.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1993, American Psychological Association)

DOI

10.1037/1040-3590.5.2.230

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A clear understanding and confirmation of the structure of psychological distress has been hampered by different theoretical perspectives, ranges of measures, and methodologies. This study examined the latent construct structure of psychological distress as reflected in 27 self-report measures of psychological functioning from a community sample of 614 young adults. Models that hypothesized a single dimension of distress or 2 first-order factors (positive and negative affect) poorly fit the data. A model that fit well contained 9 first-order latent constructs, including Emotional Distress, Self-Derogation, Purpose in Life, Psychoticism, Depression, Anxiety, Hostility, Suicide Ideation, and Disorganized Thinking. Second and third higher order models achieved greater parsimony but were statistically inferior to the 9-factor model. Models are contrasted and discussed in terms of prior theory and current conceptualizations of mental health.

Language: en