title: Race, ethnicity, and depression: a confirmatory analysis.
abstract: This study addresses two questions: (a) Are depressive-symptom scales equally indicative of depression in different racial/ethnic groups and (b) are there mean differences between the groups in the underlying depressive disorder assessed by these scales? The data consist of interviews obtained from a large community survey of depression in Los Angeles County. Four racial/ethnic groups were considered: Anglos, blacks, English-speaking Hispanics, and Spanish-speaking Hispanics. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test both one-factor and two-factor models of depression. An invariant factor pattern was demonstrated. No significant mean differences on a factor of Depression were found, but the groups were found to differ on a Well-Being factor. Implications for survey research on psychiatric impairment among different racial/ethnic groups are discussed.
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology