title: Psychometric properties of the DSM scale for depression (DSD) with Korean-American youths.
abstract: As a first step in developing a reliable and culturally sensitive instrument to assess depression in Korean-American youths, this community-based methodological study was designed to evaluate the characteristics of the DSM Scale for Depression (DSD). A total of 104 Korean Americans, 11 to 13 years, participated in this study, and the response patterns of this group were compared with Korean- (n = 20) and Anglo- (n = 557) American youths assessed by the Teen Life Changes Survey (TLCS). Overall, Korean-American youths showed significantly higher mental distress scores than Anglos. The DSD was found to be a culturally appropriate instrument for Korean Americans with good reliability (alpha =.92) and validity demonstrated by correlating with related constructs (loneliness, self-esteem, coping, social support, mastery, and somatic symptoms). The highest correlation coefficient was observed between depression and somatic symptoms (r =.61). These findings are informative for the design of further studies of mental health of Korean-American youths.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas - Houston, Health Science Center, School of Nursing, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. Heesung.Choi@uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Heeseung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stafford
authors.forename: Janet C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Meininger
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007723:Korea / Q000208:ethnology; D008132:Loneliness; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012649:Self Concept; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D013781:Texas; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology