The comparison of latent variable models of non-psychotic psychiatric morbidity in four culturally diverse populations.
BACKGROUND
Factor analysis has been employed to identify latent variables that are unifying constructs and that parsimoniously describe correlations among a related group of variables. Confirmatory factor analysis is used to test hypothesized factor structures for a set of variables; it can also, as in this paper be used to model data from two or more groups simultaneously to determine whether they have the same factor structure.


METHODS
Non-psychotic psychiatric morbidity, elicited by the Revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R), from four culturally diverse populations was compared. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to compare the factor structures of CIS-R data sets from Santiago, Harare, Rotherhithe and Ealing. These structures were compared with hypothetical one and two factor (depression-anxiety) models.


RESULTS
The models fitted well with the different data sets. The depression-anxiety model was marginally superior to the one factor model as judged by various statistical measures of fit. The two factors in depression-anxiety model were, however, highly correlated.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest that symptoms of emotional distress seem to have the same factor structure across cultures.
Jacob
K S
KS
Section of Epidemiology and General Practice, Institute of Psychiatry, London.
Everitt
B S
BS
Patel
V
V
Weich
S
S
Araya
R
R
Lewis
G H
GH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology