title: Is depression taxonic, dimensional, or both?
abstract: The current investigation examines the potential importance of item selection in the ongoing discussion regarding the taxonicity of depression. Following J. C. Coyne (1994), we contrast the taxonicity of "distress" with the taxonicity of a syndrome more focused on somatic symptoms (i.e., the involuntary defeat syndrome). Using 4 samples of 984 undergraduates, we first replicate the J. Ruscio and A. M. Ruscio (2000) results by showing that distress item indicators are dimensional. We then demonstrate taxonicity using items focused on somatic symptoms and reflective of disruption of multiple homeostatic mechanisms. Results suggest that item selection is central to the determination of taxonicity in depression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Institute for Behavioral Research, University of Georgia, Athens 30602, USA. sbeach@egon.psy.uga.edu
authors.forename: Steven R H
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Beach
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Amir
mesh_terms: D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires