Elsevier

Psychiatry Research

Volume 2, Issue 2, May 1980, Pages 125-134
Psychiatry Research

Reliability of the CES-D scale in different ethnic contexts

https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-1781(80)90069-4Get rights and content

Abstract

Reliability of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, a 20-item symptom checklist, is examined using data from a sample of community respondents containing Anglos (254), Blacks (270), and Mexican Americans (181). Although the survey response rate was lower for Mexican Americans, quality of the data provided by this group was not significantly different from that for Anglos or Blacks. That is, there were no differences among these groups in terms of missing data or internal consistency reliability (as measured by Cronbach's alpha and Spearman-Brown split halves). Factor-analytic results also demostrate the same general structure of responses among the three groups.

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    This research was supported in part by a grant No. MH 30118 from the National Institute of Mental Health of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration. The author was recipient of Research Scientist Development Award No. KO2-MH 00047 from the same agency during this research. Appreciation is expressed to John Stevenson, who provided assistance with analyses of the data.

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