Measuring Depression in Korean Immigrants: Assessing Validity of the Translated Korean Version of CES-D Scale

Abstract

Results are reported about the validity of a translated Korean version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), a self-report or interview measure of depressive sympto matology used widely in Asian and other ethnic populations. Compared to Euro-Americans, Asians are more reluctant to endorse CES-D items that tap subjective experiences of positive affect, a response bias resulting in observations of more depressive symptoms among Asians. Thus, it was previously recommended that the four positive affect items be deleted when assessing depressive symptoms in Asian populations, including Chinese and Koreans. This recommendation is reassessed here by comparing psychometric properties of alternate forms of the translated Korean version of the CES-D scale: the original 20-item scale, the 16-item scale in which positive affect items were deleted, and a revised 20-item scale in which positive items were rephrased in negative terms. Results revealed that reliability and validity were highest in the revised 20-item scale.