Racial differences in adolescent self-report: A comparative validity study using homogeneous MMPI content measures.

Abstract

MMPIs) were administered to an urban-mixedrace sample of adolescent psychiatric inp'atients and outpatients (N = 218). Racial differences were noted on 4 of the 13 raw Wiggins scale scores, with scores for African-American patients more elevated on Poor Health, Feminine Interests, Phobias, and Psychoticism. A backward multiple-regression procedure was used to predict raw Wiggins scale scores from parent descriptions as measured by the Personality Inventory for Children clinical scales. Predictors supported the validity of the Organic Symptoms, Social Maladjustment, Family Problems, Authority Conflict, and Hypomania scales, and to some extent, Poor Morale, Depression, Poor Health, and Phobias. Predictors differed across racial groups for 9 of the scales, with particular discrepancies in predictive meaning for Poor Health, Hypomania, Family Problems, and Authority Conflict. Implications for MMPI-A content scales are discussed.

Validation of depression and anxiety measures in White and Black youths: Multitrait–multimethod analyses.

“…Similarly, Knight et al (1994) reported that correlations between measures of depression, anxiety, and conduct disorder were equivalent in samples of White and Hispanic youths. Wrobel and Lachar (1995), however, reported that depression was more highly correlated with anxiety among White youths than among Black youths and that depression was more highly correlated with family problems, delinquency, hyperactivity, and psychosis among Black youths than among White youths.…”

“…Of these studies, two reported that Black youths scored higher on depression measures than did White youths (Garrison, Jackson, Marsteller, McKeown, & Addy, 1990;Mc-Donald & Gynther, 1963). Five studies found no significant differences between Black and White youth on measures of depression (Helsel & Matson, 1984;Lubin & McCollum, 1994;Reynold & Graves, 1989;Treadwell, Flannery-Schroeder, & Kendall, 1995;Wrobel & Lachar, 1995). One study revealed that White youths scored higher than Black youths.…”

“…We also found 11 studies comparing Black and White youths on various measures of anxiety, which are summarized in Table 2. Of these studies, 7 found higher levels or rates of anxiety in Black youths than in White youths (Hawkes & Furst, 1971; Lapouse & Monk, 1959; Nalven, 1970; Payne, Smith, & Payne, 1983; Silverman, La Greca, & Wasserstein, 1995; Treadwell et al, 1995; Wrobel & Lachar, 1995). Two studies revealed no differences between White and Black young people (Beidel, Turner, & Trager, 1994; Douglas & Rice, 1979).…”