Personality characteristics of the child accident repeater. 1967.

From 8874 boys and girls aged 4 to 18 in Berkeley-Oakland, California, 684 were selected to represent high-, intermediateor low-accident-liability children, based on records of medically attended injuries. Using data from intensive interviews with mothers supplemented with school records, we found a statistically significant relation between accident liability and indexes of extraversion, daring, roughhousing, and other traits tending to expose children to hazards. Similar relations held for traits such as poor discipline, aggressiveness toward peers, and, for girls, attention-seeking, which compete with the child's ability to cope with hazards.

A cross-national comparison of anti-anxiety/sedative drug use.

Findings are reported from a 1981 cross-national survey of the use of anti-anxiety/sedative medications by adults in the general population of the United States and 10 Western European countries. Representative national samples in the 11 countries were asked a standard set of questions about their use of these medications during the preceding 12 months. Data were obtained by personal interview in the course of a household visit.

Evaluating a household survey measure of psychic distress.

This paper describes a study to assess the validity of a brief household survey measure of psychic distress (PSYDIS). The measure classifies persons according to their pattern of scores on four dimensions, including anxiety and depression. Study subjects were interviewed first as respondents from the general population in a cross-sectional household survey.

Psychic distress, life crisis, and use of psychotherapeutic medications: national household survey data.

Findings are reported from a nationwide survey of a cross-section probability sample (N = 2,552) of US adults. Data on psychic distress were obtained from a shortened version of the Hopkins symptom checklist, data on life crises from a shortened version of the Holmes-Rahe social readjustment rating scale. Methods for collecting data on use of psychotherapeutic medications were validated in a separate study.