Locus of control in severely disturbed adolescents: Loci for Peers,Parents, Achievement,Relationships, and Problems

The validity of a multifactor conceptualization of locus of control (LOC) in severely disturbed adolescents was investigated. Ninety-two adolescents (44 female, 48 male) from a private psychiatric hospital completed the Children's Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Locus of Control scale 3 months following admission. Five factors were found by both principal components and common factor analyses; the factors were named Peers, Parents, Achievement, Relationships, and Problems. Factors items had minimum loadings of 40, numbered 4 to 8 per factor, and accounted for 36.8% of the variance in principal components analysis and 28.5% of the variance in common factor analysis. Whereas traditional LOC was significantly related only to Global Assessment Scale (GAS) scores at admission and 3 months later, and to initial Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (3rd edition, revised) diagnosis of psychosis, individual factors were significantly related to IQ; GAS at admission, 3 months, and 15 months following admission; externalized aggression prior to admission; and diagnoses of psychosis, depression, and conduct disorder.Received doctorate in psychology from Stanford University. Current research interests include cost effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis of mental health services and substance abuse treatment programs, and cognitive determinants of premature cessation of therapy.Received doctorate in clinical psychology from George Washington University. Her current interests include individual psychotherapy with children and adolescents and research on the effectiveness of home-based services.Received doctorate in clinical psychology from George Washington University. His research interests include comorbidity of depression and conduct disorder, and outcome studies of adolescent disorders.Received M.D. from Harvard Medical School and is the former Head of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Rochester, and former Chief, Child Research Branch, National Institute of Mental Health. Major interests are inpatient adolescent treatment, family therapy, and individual psychotherapy.