title: Ethnic variation in depressive symptoms in a community sample in Hawaii.
abstract: A modified CES-D was administered to a community sample of 176 European Americans (EA), 209 Native Hawaiians (NH), and 357 Japanese Americans (JA), yielding measures of depression, positive affect, depressed affect, somatic disturbance, and disturbed interpersonal relations. Positive affect was lower in JA relative to EA, consistent with findings among Native Japanese, a pattern attributed to cultural variation in emotion regulation. NH reported lower positive affect than EA, accompanied by elevated negative affect and somatic disturbance, suggesting generally higher levels of depressive symptoms. The three ethnic groups varied in mental health care usage with differing associations between depressive symptoms and experiences of stressful life events. Taken together, these results suggest ethnic variation in depressive symptoms may arise from differing cultural beliefs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA.
authors.forename: Asako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanazawa
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Hampson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006254:Hawaii; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*