In a community sample of 150 adolescents 14–16 years old, 25 (16.7%) were found to be well adjusted on the basis of structured interviews with the youths and their parents. The personalities of these subjects were found to be different and their self-concepts better than those of the remaining sample. The well adjusted adolescents described their parents as more caring and reported a larger number of social support systems than did the controls. The direct significance of these findings, as well as more subtle ramifications for the mental health professional, is discussed.
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