Existential anxiety in adolescents: Prevalence, structure, association with psychological symptoms and identity development

    Authors

    S. L. Berman; C. F. Weems;T. R. Stickle

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Youth Adolesc.

    Keywords

    existential anxiety; identity; adjustment; CHILDREN; FEARS; RELIABILITY; DEPRESSION; VALIDATION; VARIABLES; CHINESE; GENDER; LIFE; Psychology, Developmental

    Abstract

    Existential anxiety is hypothesized to be a core human issue in a great deal of theoretical and philosophical writing. However, little is known about the emergence of these concerns and their relation to emotional functioning in youth. The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomenon of existential anxiety in a sample of adolescents. Data on existential concerns, identity development and psychological symptoms were collected on a sample of 139 youth in grades 9-12. Results indicated that existential anxiety concerns have a theoretically consistent factor structure, are common among adolescents, and are associated with psychological symptoms, as well as identity issues. Results are discussed with regard to the importance of existential concerns in the lives of youth and the need for additional research.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Youth and Adolescence

    Volume

    35

    Issue/Number

    3

    Publication Date

    1-1-2006

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    303

    Last Page

    310

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000238021900001

    ISSN

    0047-2891

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