The Juvenile Wellness and Health Survey (JWHS-76): A School Based Screening Instrument for General and Mental Health in High School Students

Existing screening instruments address adolescent health from a pediatric / public health perspective. We developed a school based screening instrument (the JWHS-76) for high schools measuring multiple health related domains from a child psychiatric viewpoint. We studied 1769 students in two suburban high schools (48% girls, mean age 16, predominantly white). Factor analyses revealed five coherent factors: general risk taking, mental health problems, sex related risks, eating and dietary problems, and general health problems. Analyses by gender, age and coping style revealed significant and consistent associations. The JWHS-76 is supported by preliminary evidence as a valid screening instrument in high school.