Identification of Emotional and Social Difficulties among Pakistani Adolescents

Abstract

This study was conducted to identify the patterns of emotional and social difficulties among Pakistani adolescents. The Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Disruptive Behavior, and Self-Concept Inventories of the Beck Youth Inventories were administered to 300 adolescents (150 females and 150 males). The age range was between 14–19 years. Each inventory represented distinct symptom dimensions and the overall pattern of results indicated that anxiety level in males was higher than females but females’ disruptive behavior was significantly high. Hence, there was no significant gender difference in the levels of anger, self concept and depression. Age had strong impact on all types of psychological distress. Late adolescents showed more anger, anxiety, depression and disruptive behavior. Early adolescents had high self concept as compared to late adolescents. Anxiety was significantly positively related with depression, anger and disruptive behavior.