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Ethnicity and psychiatric comorbidity in a national sample: evidence for latent comorbidity factor invariance and connections with disorder prevalence

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Abstract

Purpose

Prevalence rates, and bivariate comorbidity patterns, of many common mental disorders differ significantly across ethnic groups. While studies have examined multivariate comorbidity patterns by gender and age, no studies to our knowledge have examined such patterns by ethnicity. Such an investigation could aid in understanding the nature of ethnicity-related health disparities in mental health and is timely given the likely implementation of multivariate comorbidity structures (i.e., internalizing and externalizing) to frame key parts of DSM-5.

Methods

We investigated whether multivariate comorbidity of 11 common mental disorders, and their associated latent comorbidity factors, differed across five ethnic groups in a large, nationally representative sample (n = 43,093). We conducted confirmatory factor analyses and factorial invariance analyses in White (n = 24,507), Hispanic/Latino (n = 8,308), Black (n = 8,245), Asian/Pacific Islander (n = 1,332), and American Indian/Alaska Native (n = 701) individuals.

Results

Results supported a two-factor internalizing–externalizing comorbidity factor model in both lifetime and 12-month diagnoses. This structure was invariant across ethnicity, but factor means differed significantly across ethnic groups.

Conclusions

These findings, taken together, indicated that observed prevalence rate differences between ethnic groups reflect ethnic differences in latent internalizing and externalizing factor means. We discuss implications for classification (DSM-5 and ICD-11 meta-structure), health disparities research, and treatment.

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Acknowledgments

U01AA018111, R01DA018652, and K05AA014223 (Hasin). The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions was sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and funded, in part, by the Intramural Program, NIAAA, National Institutes of Health, with additional support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA

    Nicholas R. Eaton

  2. Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive #123, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Katherine M. Keyes, Andrew E. Skodol & Deborah S. Hasin

  3. University of Minnesota, 75 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Robert F. Krueger

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Weesperplein 4, 1018 XA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Arjen Noordhof

  5. University of Arizona, 6102 N. 28th Street, Phoenix, AZ, 85016, USA

    Andrew E. Skodol

  6. The University of Iowa, Seashore Hall, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Kristian E. Markon

  7. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH/NIAAA, LEB, 5635 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA

    Bridget F. Grant

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  1. Nicholas R. Eaton
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Correspondence to Nicholas R. Eaton.

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Eaton, N.R., Keyes, K.M., Krueger, R.F. et al. Ethnicity and psychiatric comorbidity in a national sample: evidence for latent comorbidity factor invariance and connections with disorder prevalence. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 48, 701–710 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0595-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0595-5

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