title: Measurement invariance of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) among Chinese and Dutch elderly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although previous studies using non- elderly groups have assessed the factorial invariance of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) across different groups with the same social-cultural backgrounds, few studies have tested the factorial invariance of the CES-D across two elderly groups from countries with different social cultures. The purposes of this study were to examine the factorial structure of the CES-D, and test its measurement invariance across two different national elderly populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 6806 elderly adults from China (n = 4903) and the Netherlands (n = 1903) were included in the final sample. The CES-D was assessed in both samples. Three strategies were used in the data analysis procedure. First, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was carried out to determine the factor structures of the CES-D that best fitted the two samples. Second, the best fitting model was incorporated into a multi-group CFA model to test measurement invariance of the CES-D across the two population groups. Third, latent mean differences between the two groups were tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed: 1) in both samples, Radloff's four-factor model resulted in a significantly better fit and the four dimensions (somatic complaints, depressed affect, positive affect, and interpersonal problems) of the CES-D seem to be the most informative in assessing depressive symptoms compared to the single-, three-, and the second-order factor models; and 2) the factorial structure was invariant across the populations under study. However, only partial scalar and uniqueness invariance of the CES-D items was supported. Latent means in the partial invariant model were lower for the Dutch sample, compared to the Chinese sample.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings provide evidence of a valid factorial structure of the CES-D that could be applied to elderly populations from both China and the Netherlands, producing a meaningful comparison of total scores between the two elderly groups. However, for some specific factors and items, caution is required when comparing the depressive symptoms between Chinese and Dutch elderly groups.
authors: Center on Aging Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors: Baoshan
authors: B
authors: Zhang
authors: Marjolein
authors: M
authors: Fokkema
authors: Pim
authors: P
authors: Cuijpers
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Niels
authors: N
authors: Smits
authors: Aartjan
authors: A
authors: Beekman
references: J Psychosom Res. 2004 Sep;57(3):297-305
references: 15507257
references: J Pers Assess. 2008 Mar;90(2):175-84
references: 18444112
references: Psychol Aging. 1997 Jun;12(2):277-87
references: 9189988
references: Qual Life Res. 2005 Apr;14(3):587-98
references: 16022054
references: Psychol Bull. 1992 May;111(3):490-504
references: 16250105
references: Psychol Methods. 2004 Mar;9(1):93-115
references: 15053721
references: Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2004 Jun;19(6):538-44
references: 15211532
references: Psychiatry Res. 2004 Apr 30;126(2):177-87
references: 15123397
references: Soc Sci Med. 1990;31(12):1313-9
references: 2287960
references: Psychometrika. 2009 Mar;74(1):107-120
references: 20037639
references: Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2002 Jan;105(1):20-7
references: 12086221
references: Soc Sci Med. 1989;29(1):85-94
references: 2740931
references: Annu Rev Psychol. 2009;60:549-76
references: 18652544
references: J Clin Epidemiol. 2002 Apr;55(4):319-28
references: 11927198
references: Behav Res Ther. 1997 Apr;35(4):373-80
references: 9134792
references: Perspect Psychol Sci. 2006 Sep;1(3):234-50
references: 26151631
references: Psychol Assess. 2000 Mar;12(1):69-76
references: 10752365
references: Psychol Med. 2010 Feb;40(2):225-37
references: 19531277
references: Arch Intern Med. 1997 Feb 24;157(4):449-54
references: 9046897
references: Am J Psychiatry. 2001 Jun;158(6):857-64
references: 11384889
references: Am J Med. 1982 Jan;72(1):127-35
references: 7058818
references: J Consult Clin Psychol. 2000 Dec;68(6):993-9
references: 11142551
references: J Clin Psychol. 1988 Sep;44(5):739-46
references: 3192712
references: Med Care. 1994 Apr;32(4):341-56
references: 8139299
references: J Consult Clin Psychol. 1989 Apr;57(2):309-10
references: 2708621
references: J Pers Assess. 1995 Jun;64(3):507-21
references: 7760258
references: Psychol Med. 1997 Jan;27(1):231-5
references: 9122304
references: Tijdschr Gerontol Geriatr. 1994 Jun;25(3):95-103
references: 8036649
references: Cult Med Psychiatry. 1982 Jun;6(2):117-90
references: 7116909
references: J Pers Soc Psychol. 2006 Feb;90(2):288-307
references: 16536652
references: Int J Soc Psychiatry. 1988 Winter;34(4):316-20
references: 3235295