Age differences in self-reported symptoms of psychological distress

Some investigators have found higher levels of distress in late adulthood, but others have reported no differences between younger and older adults or even lower levels of distress in their older samples. In the present investigation, a sample of adults who had attended the same university and ranged in age from 22 to 86 were asked to complete the Brief Symptom Inventory. Subjects were divided into four age cohorts, and analyses were conducted to determine age-related differences in the reporting of symptomatology. Older adults were more likely than younger adults to report symptoms that reflected distress over physical ailments and memory problems, but young adults were more likely to report symptoms of a primarily psychological nature.