Abstract
This research investigated differences in prevalence of depressive symptoms among adolescents from diverse ethnocultural groups. Data from a national survey of persons 12–17 years of age (n=2200) were analyzed, comparing symptom levels of Anglo, African, Mexican, and other Hispanic Americans using a 12-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Overall, the results indicate differences in rates of depression. Females reported more symptoms of depression than males in every ethnic group. Among the ethnic groups, Mexican American males reported more depressive symptoms than other males and the same was true for Mexican American females, although to a lesser extent. Logistic regression of three different caseness scores (16+, 21+, 31+), adjusting for age, gender, perceived health, and occupation of the primary wage earner in the household, indicated that only Mexican American adolescents reported more depressive symptoms than the Anglo majority. The relative risk ranged from 1.46 to 1.83.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alba, R. D. (1990).Ethnic Identity: The Transformation of White America. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT.
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (1987). Structured diagnostic interviews for children and adolescents.J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiat. 26: 611–675.
Angel, R., and Guarnaccia, P. J. (1989). Mind, body, and culture: Somatization among Hispanics.Soc. Sci. Med. 28: 1229–1238.
Baron, P., and Perron, L. M. (1986). Sex differences in the Beck Depression Inventory Scores of adolescents.J. Youth Adoles 15: 165–171.
Barnes, G. E., and Prosen, H. (1984). Depression in Canadian general practice attenders.Can. J. Psychiat. 29: 2–10.
Bird, H. R., Canino, G., Rubio-Stipec, M., Gould, M. S., Ribera, J., Sesman, M., Woodbury, M., Huertas-Goldman, S., Pagan, A., Sanchez-Lacay, A., and Moscoso, M. (1988). Estimates of the prevalence of childhood maladjustment in a community survey in Puerto Rico. The use of combined measures.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 45: 1120–1126.
Bureau of the Census. (1980).The 1980 U.S. Census of Population. Alphabetical index of industries and occupations. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
Cervantes, R. C., and Castro, F. G. (1985). Stress, coping, and Mexican American mental health: A systematic review.Hisp. J. Behav. Sci. 7: 1–73.
Comstock, G. W., and Helsing, K. J. (1976). Symptoms of depression in two communities.Psychol. Med. 6: 551–563.
Cooper, B., and Morgan, H. G. (1973).Epidemiological Psychiatry. Charles C Thomas, Springfield, IL.
Craig, T. J., and Van Natta, P. (1973). Validation of the Community Mental Health Assessment Interview Instrument Among Psychiatric Inpatients. Working Paper No. B-27a for Center for Epidemiologic Studies.
Doerfler, L. A., Felner, R. A., Rowlison, R. T., Raley, P. A., and Evans, E. (1988). Depression in children and adolescents: A comparative analysis of the utility and construct validity of two assessment measures.J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 56: 769–772.
Emslie, G. J., Weinberg, W. A., Rush, A. J., Adams, R. M., and Rintelmann, J. W. (1990). Depressive symptoms by self-report in adolescence: Phase I of the development of a questionnaire for depression by self-report.J. Child Neurol. 5: 114–121.
Feldman, S. S., and Elliott, G. R. (1990).At the Threshold: The Developing Adolescent. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
Fleming, J. E., and Offord, D. R. (1990). Epidemiology of childhood depressive disorders: A critical review.J. Am. Acad. Child Adoles. Psychiat. 29: 571–580.
Garrison, C. Z., Jackson, K. L., Marsteller, F., McKeown, R., Addy, C. (1990). A longitudinal study of depressive symptomatology in young adolescents.J. Am. Acad. Child Adoles. Psychiat. 29: 581–585.
Gibbs, J. T. (1985). Psychosocial factors associated with depression in urban adolescent females: Implications for assessment.J. Youth Adolesc. 14: 47–60.
Golding, J. M., and Burnam, M. A. (1990). Immigration, stress, and depressive symptoms in a Mexican-American community.J. Nerv. Mental Dis. 178: 161–171.
Hops, H., Lewinsohn, P. M., Andrews, J. A., and Roberts, R. E. (1990). Psychosocial correlates of depressive symptomatology among high school students.J. Clin. Child Psychol. 19: 211–220.
Kandel, D. B., and Davies, M. (1982). Epidemiology of depressive mood in adolescents.Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 39: 1205–1212.
Kaplan, S. L., Hong, G. K., and Weinhold, C. (1984). Epidemiology of depressive symptomatology in adolescents.J. Am. Acad. Child Psychiat. 23: 91–98.
Kessler, R. C., and Neighbors, H. W. (1986). A new perspective on the relationships among race, social class, and psychological distress.J. Health Soc. Behav. 27: 107–115.
Kolody, B., Vega, W., Meinhardt, K., and Bensussen, G. (1986). The correspondence of health complaints and depressive symptoms among Anglos and Mexican-Americans.J. Nerv. Mental Dis. 174: 221–228.
Kovacs, M. (1989). Affective disorders in children and adolescents.Am. Psychol. 44: 209–215.
Lewinsohn, P. M., Hoberman, H., Teri, L., and Hautzinger, M. (1985). An integrative theory of depression. In Reiss, S., and Bootzin, R. (eds.),Theoretical Issues in Behavior Therapy. Academic Press, New York.
Manson, S. M., Ackerson, L. M., Dick, R. W., Baron, A. E., and Fleming, C. M. (1990). Depressive symptoms among American Indian adolescents: Psychometric characteristics of the CES-D.Psychol. Assess. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 2: 231–237.
Moscicki, E. K., Locke, B. Z., Rae, D. S., and Boyd, J. H. (1989). Depressive symptoms among Mexican Americans: The Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.Am. J. Epidemiol. 130: 348–360.
Paykel, E. (1982).Handbook of Affective Disorders. Guilford Press, New York.
Phinney, J. S., and Rotherham, M. J. (1987).Children's Ethnic Socialization: Pluralism and Development. Sage Publications, Newbury Park, CA.
Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D Scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population.Appl. Psychol. Meas. 1: 385–401.
Roberts, R. E. (1980). Reliability of the CES-D Scale in different ethnic contexts.Psychiat. Res. 2: 125–134.
Roberts, R. E. (1987). Epidemiological issues in measuring preventive effects. In Munoz, R. F. (ed.),The Prevention of Depression: Research Directions. Hemisphere Publishing, Washington, DC.
Roberts, R. E., and Vernon, S. W. (1984). Minority status and psychological distress reexamined: The case of Mexican Americans. In Greenley, J. R. (ed.),Research in Community and Mental Health. JAI, Greenwich, CT.
Roberts, R. E., Vernon, S. W., and Rhoades, H. M. (1989). The effects of language and ethnic status on reliability and validity of the CES-D Scale with psychiatric patients.J. Nerv. Mental Dis. 177: 581–592.
Roberts, R. E., Andrews, J. A., Lewinsohn, P. M., and Hops, H. (1990). Assessment of depression in adolescents using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 2: 122–128.
Roberts, R. E., Lewinsohn, P. M., and Seeley, J. R. (1991). Screening for adolescent depression: A comparison of the CES-D and BDI.J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiat. 30: 58–66.
Rutter, M., Tizard, C. E., and Read, P. B. (1986).Depression in Young People. Guilford Press, New York.
Schoenbach, V. J., Kaplan, B. H., Grimson, R. C., and Wagner, E. H. (1982). Use of a symptom scale to study the prevalence of a depressive syndrome in young adolescents.Am. J. Epidemiol. 116: 791–800.
Stiffman, A. R., and Davis, L. E. (1990).Ethnic Issues in Adolescent Mental Health. Sage Publications, Newbury Park, CA.
Teri, L. (1982). The use of the Beck Depression Inventory with adolescents.J. Abnorm. Child Psychol. 10: 277–284.
Tolor, A., and Murphy, V. M. (1985). Stress and depression in high school students.Psychol. Rep. 57: 535–541.
Ulbrich, P. A., Warheit, G. J., and Zimmerman, R. S. (1989). Race, socioeconomic status, and psychological distress: An examination of differential vulnerability.J. Health Soc. Behav. 30: 131–146.
Vega, W., Warheit, G., and Meinhardt, K. (1985). Mental health issues in the Hispanic community: The prevalence of psychological distress. In Vega, W., and Miranda, M. (eds.),Stress and Hispanic Mental Health: Relating Research to Service Delivery. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
Weinberg, W. A., and Emslie, G. J. (1987). Depression and suicide in adolescents.Int. Pediatr. 2: 154–159.
Weissman, M. M., Sholmaskas, D., Pottenger, M., Prusoff, B. A., and Locke, B. Z. (1977). Assessing depressive symptoms in five psychiatric populations: A validation study.Am. J. Epidemiol. 106: 203–214.
Wells, V. E., Klerman, G. L., and Deykin, E. Y. (1987). The prevalence of depressive symptoms in college students.Soc. Psychiat. 22: 20–28.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported in part by grants MH44214 and MH44773 from the National Institute of Mental Health, by the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, and by the Center for Cross-Cultural Research.
Holds an M.A. and a Ph.D. in sociology and social psychology from the University of Kentucky at Lexington. Major research interests are in the areas of the epidemiology of adolescent psychopathology and the role of culture and ethnicity on psychological functioning, in particular depression and anxiety.
Holds an M.A. in demography from the Free University in Brussels, an M.S. in Statistics from Dacca University in Bangladesh, and a Ph.D. in biostatistics from the University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston. Major research interests are the application of statistics to epidemiological research and clinical trials.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Roberts, R.E., Sobhan, M. Symptoms of depression in adolescence: A comparison of Anglo, African, and Hispanic Americans. J Youth Adolescence 21, 639–651 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01538736
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01538736