Person-environment congruence as a predictor of adolescent health and behavioral problems.

Most research on health and behavioral outcomes of stressors has focused on adults. One stressor identified in this literature is lack of "fit," or congruence, between individual needs and environmental opportunities. This study examines relations between person-environment congruence in three settings (home, school, and peer group) and several indices of health and behavioral disorder among adolescents. We also examine whether person-environment congruence contributes to the prediction of health and behavioral disorder once the effects of stressful life events have been taken into account. Using self-report data from 531 high school students, we find (a) person-environment congruence has relatively little impact on youngsters' health and well-being; and (b) although the contribution of congruence is small it is independent of the contribution of life events. Problems in the measurement of congruence are noted.