The development of a measure of adolescent stress is described and data on the scale from a study of 369 students aged 14-16 attending two junior high schools in western Canada are provided. The component of the scale measuring physical and sexual abuse, and abuse of alcohol and drugs in self and others had high and significant correlations with measures of depression, impaired selfesteem and suicidal ideas and behaviour. The use of the adolescent stress measure for screening secondary school populations is advocated.
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