Psychometric Properties of the CES-D Among Black Adolescents in Public Housing

Objective: The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) has not been fully validated as a depression screening scale among Black adolescents. This study examines the psychometric properties of the CES-D as applied to Black adolescents, seeking to understand the unique way in which Black adolescents express their depression symptoms. Method: We hypothesized that the expression and factor structure of depressive symptoms measured by CES-D would be different when applied to Black adolescents. Black adolescents (N = 782) ages 11–21 were recruited from 9 urban public housing developments in 4 large U.S. cities. Confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) were used to compare the fit of competing models. Convergent validity of the CES-D was examined via associations with gender, age, and suicidal ideation in the ESEM model. Results: Instead of the original 4-factor structure of the CES-D, a 2-factor ESEM model demonstrated satisfactory fit to our data (CFI = 0.95, TLI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.04). Compared with females, Black males were less likely to endorse positive affect items of the CES-D (r = −0.13, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Conceptualizations of depression among Black adolescents may differ from any other populations previously studied. Clinicians should assess the unique expression of depression among Black youth when developing treatment plans

Anxiety · Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale · Confirmatory factor analysis · Convergent validity · Depression (economics · Depressive symptoms · Environmental health · Geography · Poison control · Psychiatry · Psychometrics · Scale (ratio · Statistics · Structural equation modeling · Suicidal ideation · Suicide prevention · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Demography · Early Childhood Education and Development · Medicine · Psychology · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research

• A guaranteed income intervention to improve the health and financial well-being of low-income black emerging adults

  Open Access•Sheri A Lippman, Margaret Libby et al.•Frontiers in Public Health•2023

  Incluir item

• The Influence of Familial and Peer Social Support on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Black Girls in Juvenile Correctional Facilities

  Open Access•C R Quinn, D T Boyd et al.•Criminal Justice and Behavior•2021

  Incluir item

• Exposure to Social Media Racial Discrimination and Mental Health among Adolescents of Color

  Open Access•X Tao, Celia B Fisher•Journal of Youth and Adolescence•2021

  Incluir item

• Developmental assets and mental health among black sexual minority male adolescents

  Open Access•D T Boyd, Hans Oh et al.•Journal of Research on Adolescence•2026

  Incluir item

• Suicidal ideations and Attempts Within the Family Context

  Open Access•D T Boyd, C R Quinn et al.•Journal of Racial and Ethnic…•2021

  Incluir item

• An Assessment of the Role of Parental Incarceration and Substance Misuse in Suicidal Planning of African American Youth and Young Adults

  Open Access•C R Quinn, Oliver W J Beer et al.•Journal of Racial and Ethnic…•2022

  Incluir item

• Correlates of depression among Black girls exposed to violence

  Open Access•B Waller, C R Quinn et al.•Journal of Racial and Ethnic…•2022

  Incluir item

• “Could Be Even Worse in College”

  Open Access•Kofoworola D A Williams, Sharyn E Dougherty et al.•Journal of Racial and Ethnic…•2023

  Incluir item

• Racialized Gender Differences in Mental Health Service Use, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Recidivism Among Justice-Involved African American Youth

  Open Access•A Williams-Butler, Feng-Yi Liu et al.•Race and Social Problems•2023

  Incluir item

• Maltreatment subtypes, depressed mood, and anhedonia

  Open Access•Joseph R Cohen, Shiesha L McNeil et al.•Psychological Trauma Theory…•2018

  Incluir item

• The Role of Racial–Ethnic Identity in Understanding Depressive Symptoms in the Context of Racial Discrimination Among African American Youth

  Open Access•Eric Kyere, Stephanie Rudd et al.•Journal of the Society for Social…•2020

  Incluir item

• Understandings of mental health and support for Black male adolescents living in the UK

  Open Access•Hannah Meechan, Mary John et al.•Children and Youth Services Review•2021

  Incluir item

• Continuity and change in neighborhood disadvantage and adolescent depression and anxiety

  Open Access•Christian King, Xi Huang et al.•Health & Place•2021

  Incluir item

• Exposure to community violence and depressive symptoms

  Open Access•Andrew Foell, Kyle A Pitzer et al.•Health & Place•2021

  Incluir item

• Hope as a Pathway in the Relation Between Social Support From Four Sources and Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescence

  Open Access•Sandra Y Rueger, Sean Coyle et al.•The Journal of Early Adolescence•2025

  Incluir item

• The Mental Health of Black Youth Affected by Community Violence

  Open Access•D T Boyd, Kristian Jones et al.•Children•2022

  Incluir item

• Family Support and Sociocultural Factors on Depression among Black and Latinx Sexual Minority Men

  Open Access•D T Boyd, S Raquel Ramos et al.•International Journal of…•2021

  Incluir item

• The Role of Protective Factors in Moderating the Association Between Racism and Suicidal Ideation or Depression Among Rural Black Youth

  Open Access•Mitzi C Pestaner, Loni Crumb et al.•Youth & Society•2024

  Incluir item

• A Protective Model for Suicidal Behaviors in American and Pakistani College Students

  Open Access•Jeffrey Klibert, Sobia Aftab et al.•OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying•2019

  Incluir item

• Maternal caregiver's typologies and internalized behaviors in African American adolescents living in urban public housing

  Open Access•Margaret Lombe, Von Nebbitt et al.•Journal of Community Psychology•2021

  Incluir item

• Black Grief Matters

  Open Access•Madelyn G Harris, Karen M O’brien•The Counseling Psychologist•2023

  Incluir item

• The Implications of Executive Functioning on Community Adversity and Violence and Mental Health Outcomes

  Open Access•Sireen B Irsheid, Rachel C Garthe et al.•Youth & Society•2023

  Incluir item

• Structural Equation Modeling

  Open Access•Jichuan Wang, Xiaoqian Wang•Structural Equation Modeling•2012

  Incluir item

• Screening for Adolescent Depression

  Open Access•Robert E Roberts, Peter M Lewinsohn et al.•Journal of the American Academy…•1991

  Incluir item

• Meta-analysis of the factor structures of four depression questionnaires

  Open Access•Alan B Shafer•Journal of Clinical Psychology•2006

  Incluir item

• Bayesian structural equation modeling

  Bengt Muthén, Tihomir Asparouhov•Psychological Methods•2012

  Incluir item

• Social, Demographic, and Health Outcomes in the 10 Years Following Adolescent Depression

  Open Access•Kiyuri Naicker, Nancy L Galambos et al.•Journal of Adolescent Health•2013

  Incluir item

• Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling

  Herbert W Marsh, Alexandre J S Morin et al.•Annual Review of Clinical…•2014

  Incluir item

• Screening for Depression in Primary Care Clinics

  Open Access•Jane Zich, Jane M Zich et al.•The International Journal of…•1990

  Incluir item

• Epidemiology of Depressive Symptoms in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health

  Open Access•JERRY L RUSHTON, Michelle Forcier et al.•Journal of the American Academy…•2002

  Incluir item

• Assessing Depressive Symptoms in Five Psychiatric Populations

  Myrna M Weissman, Diane Sholomskas et al.•American Journal of Epidemiology•1977

  Incluir item

• Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling, Integrating CFA and EFA

  Herbert W Marsh, Bengt Muthén et al.•Structural Equation Modeling: A…•2009

  Incluir item

• Factorial Validity of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression 10 in Adolescents

  Kristina L Bradley, Alexa Bagnell et al.•Issues in Mental Health Nursing•2010

  Incluir item

• Depressed Adolescents Grown Up

  Myrna M Weissman•JAMA•1999

  Incluir item

• Childhood and Adolescent Depression

  Open Access•Boris Birmaher, Neal D Ryan et al.•Journal of the American Academy…•1996

  Incluir item

• Lifetime Prevalence of Mental Disorders in U.S. Adolescents

  Open Access•Kathleen R Merikangas, Jian-Ping He et al.•Journal of the American Academy…•2010

  Incluir item

• Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling

  Tihomir Asparouhov, Bengt Muthén•Structural Equation Modeling: A…•2009

  Incluir item

• Evaluating the use of exploratory factor analysis in psychological research.

  Leandre R Fabrigar, Duane T Wegener et al.•Psychological Methods•1999

  Incluir item

• The CES-D Scale

  Open Access•Lenore Sawyer Radloff•Applied Psychological Measurement•1977

  Incluir item

• An Overview of Analytic Rotation in Exploratory Factor Analysis

  Michael W Browne•Multivariate Behavioral Research•2001

  Incluir item

• Race/ethnicity and the factor structure of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale

  Giyeon Kim, Jamie Decoster et al.•Cultural Diversity & Ethnic…•2011

  Incluir item

• Capacity-to-Consent in Psychiatric Research

  Open Access•Luis H Zayas, L J Cabassa et al.•Research on Social Work Practice•2005

  Incluir item

• Ethnocultural Differences in Prevalence of Adolescent Depression

  Open Access•Robert E Roberts, Catherine Ramsay Roberts et al.•American Journal of Community…•1997

  Incluir item

• Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Use of Mental Health Services in Poverty Areas

  Julian Chun‐chung Chow, Julian Chun-Chung Chow et al.•American Journal of Public Health•2003

  Incluir item

• The Effect of Gender and Race on the Measurement Properties of the CES-D in Older Adults

  Christopher M Callahan, Fredric D Wolinsky•Medical Care•1994

  Incluir item

• Depressive Symptomatology, Exposure to Violence, and the Role of Social Capital Among African American Adolescents

  K M Fitzpatrick, Bettina F Piko et al.•American Journal of Orthopsychiatry•2005

  Incluir item

• Sampling and Estimation in Hidden Populations Using Respondent-Driven Sampling

  Open Access•M J Salganik, Douglas D Heckathorn•Sociological Methodology•2004

  Incluir item

• What Are We Measuring? An Evaluation of the CES-D Across Race/Ethnicity and Immigrant Generation

  Krista M Perreira, Natalia Deeb‐sossa et al.•Social Forces•2005

  Incluir item

• Respondent-Driven Sampling

  Douglas D Heckathorn•Social Problems•1997

  Incluir item

• Environmental Correlates of Depressive Symptoms Among African American Adolescents Living in Public Housing

  Von E Nebbitt, Von Nebbitt et al.•Journal of Human Behavior in the…•2007

  Incluir item

• Family Matters

  Open Access•Michael A Lindsey, Sean Joe et al.•Journal of Black Psychology•2010

  Incluir item

• Explaining Changes in the Patterns of Black Suicide in the United States From 1981 to 2002

  Open Access•Sean Joe•Journal of Black Psychology•2006

  Incluir item