title: Factor structure and longitudinal invariance of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) in adult women: application in a population-based sample of mothers of children with epilepsy.
abstract: The objective of this study was to examine the factor structure and longitudinal measurement invariance of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The population-based sample included 347 adult women who had children participating in the Health-related Quality of Life in Children with Epilepsy Study. Longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis was used to confirm the factor structure and test for measurement invariance. The original CES-D four-factor model (depressed affect, positive affect, somatic activity, and interpersonal relations) provided the best fit to the data compared to alternate models: [χ(2) = 362.95 (df = 164); Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 965; Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.960; Weighted Root Mean Square Residual (WRMR) = 0.966; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.059, 90% confidence interval (CI), 0.051, 0.068] and was used for invariance testing. Results suggested full measurement invariance over time with the final model demonstrating adequate fit [χ(2) = 2303.92 (df = 1,776); CFI = 0.957; TLI = 0.952; WRMR = 1.149; RMSEA = 0.033, 90% CI, 0.030, 0.038]. We conclude that the four-factor structure of the CES-D is supported for adult women and that the measurement of the scale is longitudinally invariant. Clinicians and researchers can be confident that longitudinal changes in CES-D scores reflect true changes in depressive symptomatology and are not an artifact of changes in the interpretation of items in the scale over time.
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. ferroma@mcmaster.ca
authors: Mark A
authors: MA
authors: Ferro
authors: Kathy N
authors: KN
authors: Speechley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology