Factor Structure of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) Among Emerging Adults

Abstract

Objective: Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the factor structure of the 6-item version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6). Methods: A subsample of emerging adults, aged 18-29 (n ¼ 20,699), from the 2013 National Survey of Drug Use and Health were used in this study. Results: Each of the models (one-factor, two-factor depression and anxiety and second-order two-factor psychological distress by depression and anxiety) demonstrated good fit, with significant loadings on each factor. The second-order two-factor model and the two-factor model were equivalent and a better fit than the one-factor model. Conclusions: Findings suggest that researchers and practitioners may confidently use the K6 to screen for psychological distress symptoms within the emerging adult population.

A Mokken Scale Analysis of the Kessler-6 Screening Measure among Chinese Older Population: Findings from a national survey

“…Nevertheless, this model had a poor t with the data from a large sample of adolescents in Australia, and a modi ed single-factor model was proposed instead [21], allowing residual correlations among several items. Moreover, two-factor models were also reported in several studies [6,7,22,23]. Kessler et al found a two-factor solution emerged in the Indian sample, with an item ("Everything was an effort") loading on the second factor [6].…”

“…A two-factor model ("Depressed", "Nervous", and "Restless or dgety" on the rst factor, while "Hopeless", "Everything was an effort ", and "Worthless "on the second factor) had a better and an acceptable t to the data, χ2=18.912, df=4, CFI=1.00, TLI=0.999, and RMSEA=0.024 (90% CI 0.014, 0.035). In CFA, We tested the one-factor model and the two-factor model derived from EFA, as well as three other two-factor models proposed by Kessler et al [6], Lee et al [22] and Bessaha [7]. In Kessler et al's model, an item ("Everything was an effort") loads on the second factor, while all other ve items load on the rst factor.…”

“…They found a two-factor model best t the data, with three items ("Nervous", "Restless or dgety", and "Everything was an effort") loading on the anxiety factor, another three items ("Hopeless", "Depressed", and "Worthless") loading on the depression factor. Bessaha compared several models of the K6 among a large sample of emerging adults in the US and revealed that a two-factor model and a second-order two-factor model t the data better than a one-factor model [7]. In their two-factor model, two items ("Nervous" and "Restless or dgety") loaded on the anxiety factor, while the other four items loaded on the depression factor.…”

Evaluación de la dependencia física y psicológica al tabaco en fumadores mexicanos adultos, Encodat 2016

“…Se preguntó a los encuestados qué tan a menudo (en los últimos 30 días) se sintieron nerviosos, sin esperanza, intranquilos, deprimidos, que todo costaba mucho esfuerzo o que no valían nada. Esta escala tiene un rango de 0 a 24 puntos (a mayor puntaje, mayor malestar emocional) y corresponde a una adaptación en español, del instrumento de 10 ítems (k10), 31,32 validada en la población mexicana. 33 Los factores sociales considerados fueron estado civil (con/sin pareja), ocupación (con/sin empleo), escolaridad (primaria o menor, secundaria, bachillerato y universidad o más) e índice de bienestar, el cual se construyó a través de un análisis de componentes principales sobre los bienes en el hogar del encuestado y está expresado en quintiles, siendo el primer quintil el índice de bienestar más bajo.…”

Psychometric properties of the Bangla version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6)

“…Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), as used elsewhere (Easton et al, 2017;Bessaha, 2017;Lee et al, 2012), was used to examine how well the Bangla K6 items represent one or more latent constructs. CFA offers the testing of hypothesis that a relationship between observed variables and their underlying latent constructs exists.…”