Using a multitrait-multimethod approach, measures designed to assess emotional distress in medical populations were compared with depression measures standardized on healthy children. In a hospitalized sample of children ages 4 to 12 years old, parent ratings of child distress were compared to nurse ratings and children's responses to a pictorial measure. An assessment battery was administered to 70 mothers and children; 32 nurse ratings were also obtained. Results indicated overlap between information obtained from measures of depression and pediatric-specific measures of distress. However, the findings provide some evidence that measures that incorporate the pediatric context in assessment may be more suitable for medically ill children.
