title: Testing the hierarchical structure of the Children's Depression Inventory: a multigroup analysis.
abstract: Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, the aims were (a) to obtain, describe, and compare different solutions of three, five, and six first-order factors raised in the previous literature about the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI); (b) analyze the number and nature of the second-order factors; (c) test which model best reproduces the CDI structure; and (d) test possible developmental differences between child and adolescent samples. The CDI was applied to 4,707 Spanish children and adolescents with an age range between 7 and 16 years. Results show that best models considered five or six factors, including Social Problems (Anhedonia), Negative Affect, Externalizing, School Problems, and Negative Self-Esteem (Self-Deprecation). Also, a factor of Biological Dysregulation obtained some support. Higher-order factors do not reproduce the classical distinction between internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Finally, no large developmental differences in the CDI structure were found between children and adolescents samples.
authors.affiliation: Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain. luis.garcia@uam.es
authors.forename: Luis F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aluja
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Del Barrio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000339:Affect; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D012649:Self Concept