title: Children's Depression Inventory: A unidimensional factor structure for American Indian and Alaskan native youth.
abstract: Given that American Indian and Alaskan Native (AI/AN) youth are at increased risk for a variety of depression-related outcomes and may experience depression uniquely, the fact that the factor structure of the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI; Kovacs, 1992) is unknown for these populations represents a significant obstacle. In Study 1 with an AI youth sample, we conducted confirmatory factor analyses and failed to find support for either of the 2 predominant CDI multifactor models (Craighead, Smucker, Craighead, & Ilardi, 1998; Kovacs, 1992). In subsequent exploratory structural equation modeling, we found the most support for a unidimensional factor structure. In Study 2, using confirmatory modeling with independent AI/AN youth samples, we found further support for this unidimensional model. Finally, in Study 3, we found support across AI/AN groups varying in gender and age for measurement invariance with respect to both factor structure and factor loadings. Overall, for these AI/AN youth populations, our findings support the practice of calculating total CDI scores, and they suggest a unique construction of the depression experience.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming.
authors.forename: Walter D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clapp
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming.
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mileviciute
authors.affiliation: Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mousseau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000413:Alaska; D000072957:Alaska Natives / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report