Bummed Out Now, Feeling Sick Later: Weekday versus Weekend Negative Affect and Physical Symptom Reports in High School Freshmen

PurposeThis study examined adolescent negative affect (NA) in daily life on school days and weekend days during the spring and associations with physical symptoms during the following summer.MethodsUsing experience sampling methodology (ESM), participants provided electronic diary (eDiary) reports of NA on weekdays (Thursday and Friday) and weekend days during their 9th grade year. In telephone interviews during the winter and summer months they reported physical symptoms. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between weekday NA, weekend NA, and their interaction and four constellations of physical symptoms reported in summer (pain, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and immune symptoms).ResultsFindings indicated that weekend NA was associated with later reports of pain, respiratory, and immune symptoms. For gastrointestinal symptoms only adolescents who reported low NA on both weekend and school days reported fewer gastric symptoms than other adolescents.ConclusionsMapping the predictors and correlates of weekend NA may be important not only for understanding teenage mood patterns but also for enhancing the interpretation of physical symptom reporting by adolescents