Variables influencing the sources, frequency and intensity of worry in secondary school pupils.

Abstract

This study attempts to seek data on the main sources of worry among secondary school pupils, the extent to which the type of worry and its frequency vary with age, and the influence of the type of school attended, grammar or secondary modern, upon the frequency and intensity of the type of worry. Two worry list questionnaires were constructed. There was a general decrease with age in the frequency and intensity of worry, and no significant worry differences between grammar and modern pupils, except for the 13‐year‐old group, where the secondary modern pupils had more frequent and intense worries than the grammar. The percentages for the frequency and intensity of worry were similar in both groups for each type of worry, the most frequent sources of worry being the family, social relationships and school, and the least frequent being animals, economic and personal health concerns. Some significant differences existed: grammar school pupils reported significantly more frequent and intense economic and school worries, secondary modern pupils significantly more imagination and health worries, and the only significant difference between the sexes was the tendency for grammar school girls to worry more frequently and intensely than grammar school boys.