Manifestation of depressive symptoms among adolescents. A comparison of Mexican Americans with the majority and other minority populations

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate differential manifestation of depressive symptomatology among adolescents from diverse ethnocultural groups. Data from a national survey of persons 12 to 17 years of age (N = 2200) were analyzed, comparing responses of Anglo, African, Mexican, and other Hispanic Americans with a 12-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. The results indicated minimal differences in terms of item response and internal consistency-reliability among the four adolescent groups. However, there were differences in patterns of item endorsement, as indicated by principal component factor analysis. Anglo- and African Americans exhibited similar factor structure, represented by negative affect, positive affect, and psychosomatic symptoms. The two Hispanic groups also exhibited a three-dimensional pattern, but there was a tendency among Hispanic adolescents for somatic symptoms and negative affect symptoms to cluster together. This pattern may indicate a more prominent role of somatic complaints in the presentation of depression among Mexican Americans and other Hispanics.