title: Unmasking materialistic depression as a mental health problem: its effect on depression and materialism in an African-United States undergraduate sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Misdiagnosis of African-U.S. persons is argued to be a built-in characteristic of Western-based assessment requiring augmentation with culture-focused input where possible. Regarding depression, materialistic depression is explained as an African-centered African-U.S. culture-focused construct of masked depression. Materialistic depression symptomatology is presented. Materialism orientation is postulated to necessarily be associated with materialistic depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  144 undergraduates, 37 male (25.7%) and 107 female (74.3%), average age of 21 completed the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale, the depression subscale of the Symptom Checklist 90-R, the materialism subscale of the Cultural Misorientation Scale, and the Materialistic Depression Quiz.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Contrasting high versus lower scoring MDQ groups on both depression scores produced reliable t-tests (p<.017). One-way ANOVA on materialism scores with high, medium, low MDQ groups was reliable (p<.017).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The sample precluded generalization to clinically depressed and non-college African-U.S. populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using the Materialistic Depression Quiz, high scorers versus medium and low scorers had greater depression scores on two depression measures and greater materialism scores. Materialistic depression appears a masked form of depression not to be overlooked.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, United States. azibod@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Daudi Ajani ya
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Azibo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D003469:Culture; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D010067:Ownership; D057566:Self Report; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: African–U.S. people; Depression; Materialism; Materialistic depression