Relative Prevalence and Correlates of Depressive Characteristics among Seriously Emotionally Disturbed and Nonhandicapped Students

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Abstract
This study examined depression among 237 students served in special education programs for the seriously emotionally disturbed and among 577 nonhandicapped peers. These students, aged 6-18 years of age, were assessed on measures of depression, hyperactivity, social status, intelligence, school placement, and various aspects of educational achievement. Group contrasts were made and correlations were computed among the variables under study. The seriously emotionally disturbed students showed greater depression than the nonhandicapped. The patterns of intercorrelations were considerably different for nonhandicapped and seriously emotionally disturbed students. These results are discussed in terms of implications for further research and special education practices.