Abstract
BackgroundAn understanding of depressive symptomatology from the perspective of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) could facilitate valid and interpretable comparisons across cultures. The objectives of the study were: (i) using the responses of a sample of Arab college students to the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) in CFA, to compare the "goodness of fit" indices of the original dimensional three-and two-factor first-order models, and their modifications, with the corresponding hierarchical models (i.e., higher - order and bifactor models); (ii) to assess the psychometric characteristics of the BDI-II, including convergent/discriminant validity with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25).MethodParticipants (N = 624) were Kuwaiti national college students, who completed the questionnaires in class. CFA was done by AMOS, version 16. Eleven models were compared using eight "fit" indices.ResultsIn CFA, all the models met most "fit" criteria. While the higher-order model did not provide improved fit over the dimensional first - order factor models, the bifactor model (BFM) had the best fit indices (CMNI/DF = 1.73; GFI = 0.96; RMSEA = 0.034). All regression weights of the dimensional models were significantly different from zero (P < 0.001). Standardized regression weights were mostly 0.27-0.60, and all covariance paths were significantly different from zero. The regression weights of the BFM showed that the variance related to the specific factors was mostly accounted for by the general depression factor, indicating that the general depression score is an adequate representation of severity. The BDI-II had adequate internal consistency and convergent/discriminant validity. The mean BDI score (15.5, SD = 8.5) was significantly higher than those of students from other countries (P < 0.001).ConclusionThe broadly adequate fit of the various models indicates that they have some merit and implies that the relationship between the domains of depression probably contains hierarchical and dimensional elements. The bifactor model is emerging as the best way to account for the clinical heterogeneity of depression. The psychometric characteristics of the BDI-II lend support to our CFA results.
Highlights
An understanding of depressive symptomatology from the perspective of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) could facilitate valid and interpretable comparisons across cultures
We examined the Bahraini model [36] because it is the only one from our region, and the Dozois model from college students [18], because it was similar to the original two-factor model from an outpatient sample; (ii) to assess the following psychometric characteristics of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-II, in comparison with the international data: internal consistency, item mean scores, corrected item-total correlations, and convergent/discriminant validity with the anxiety and depression subscale scores of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25) [50]
The highlights of the CFA results are as follows (Table 1): (i) all the models met most of the criteria for good “fit”, with CMIN/DF < 2.4, GOF Index (GFI) > 0.90, adjusted GFI (AGFI) > 0.90, parsimony comparative fit index (PCFI) > 0.74, and Root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) < 0.05; (ii) for the dimensional first - order factor models, all regression weights (0.572.2) were significantly different from zero at 0.001 to 0.004 levels, two-tailed; and all covariance paths between the factors were significant
Summary
An understanding of depressive symptomatology from the perspective of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) could facilitate valid and interpretable comparisons across cultures. Findings of the multi-domain nature of depressive symptomatology have led to a search for new descriptive and explanatory models in the attempt to identify parsimonious and distinct dimensions of depression, while maintaining the breadth necessary to encompass the full range of features observed clinically [1,2] These studies involve the techniques of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In subsequent CFA studies using all the items of the BDI-II, these two-factor models were confirmed for a clinically depressed outpatient group [15] (see Fig 2) and for samples of undergraduate students [16,17] (see Fig 3). In a large sample of Canadian students [18], the Figure 1 3-factor lower order model
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