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

Abstract

The authors obtained yearly self-report, peer nomination, and teacher rating assessments of depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and social acceptance on 2 cohorts of African American (ns = 139 and 184) and Caucasian school children («s = 328 and 339), yielding a total of 6 waves of data between 3rd and 8th grade. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the measures manifested significant convergent and discriminant validity in both groups. Multigroup analyses further demonstrated that the measures were equally valid across ethnic groups. Peer nomination measures of depression and anxiety symptoms were biased, however, leading to the underestimation of psychopathology in African American children and adolescents. Allowing for this bias, the authors discovered that African American children evinced more signs of depression and anxiety in Grades 3, 4, and 5Lhan did Caucasian children. Such differences were not significant in Grades 6, 7, and 8. No ethnic group differences emerged on the social acceptance dimension.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms in Adolescents

“…The CDI has sound psychometric properties, including internal consistency (Reynolds 1994), test-retest reliability, and discriminant validity (Kovacs 1992). Additionally, convergent and discriminant validity have been established that indicate measurement equivalence in White and Black children (Cole et al 1998). The CDI has also been demonstrated to reliably identify children and adolescents with major depression and to differentiate children with major depression from those with an anxiety disorder or disruptive behavior disorder (Timbremont et al 2004).…”

“…Two of these studies examined symptoms in Black and White adolescents (Cole et al 1998;Franko et al 2004), and the third study (Costello et al 1996) was an epidemiologic study of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents in the southeastern United States. None of these studies included Hispanic adolescents.…”

“…In contrast, three large studies have not found racial/ethnic group differences in depressive symptomatology (Costello et al 1996;Cole et al 1998;Franko et al 2004). Two of these studies examined symptoms in Black and White adolescents (Cole et al 1998;Franko et al 2004), and the third study (Costello et al 1996) was an epidemiologic study of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents in the southeastern United States.…”

“…Some studies document significant group differences (e.g., Roberts and Chen 1995;Austin and Chorpita 2004) while others have reported no differences in symptoms across groups (e.g., Cole et al 1998). …”

“…A number of studies have also found higher levels of symptoms among Hispanic adolescents than other racial/ethnic groups (Doi et al 2001;Roberts and Chen 1995;Roberts and Sobhan 1992;Roberts et al 1997;Schraedly et al 1999;Siegel et al 1999). In contrast, three large studies have not found racial/ethnic group differences in depressive symptomatology (Costello et al 1996;Cole et al 1998;Franko et al 2004). Two of these studies examined symptoms in Black and White adolescents (Cole et al 1998;Franko et al 2004), and the third study (Costello et al 1996) was an epidemiologic study of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents in the southeastern United States.…”