Abstract
Do DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for major depression (MD) in Chinese and Western women perform in a similar manner? The CONVERGE study included interview-based assessments of women of Han Chinese descent with treated recurrent MD. Using Mplus software, we investigated the overall degree of between-sample measurement invariance (MI) for DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for MD in the CONVERGE sample and samples selected from four major Western studies from the USA and Europe matched to the inclusion criteria of CONVERGE. These analyses were performed one pair at a time. We then compared the results from CONVERGE paired with Western samples to those obtained when examining levels of MI between pairs of the Western samples. Assuming a single factor model for the nine diagnostic criteria for MD, the level of MI based on global fit indexes observed between the CONVERGE and the four Western samples was very similar to that seen between the Western samples. Comparable results were obtained when using a two-factor structure for MI testing when applied to the 14 diagnostic criteria for MD disaggregated for weight, appetite, sleep, and psychomotor changes. Despite differences in language, ethnicity and culture, DSM criteria for MD perform similarly in Chinese women with recurrent MD and comparable subjects from the USA and Europe. The DSM criteria for MD may assess depressive symptoms that are relatively insensitive to cultural and ethnic differences. These results support efforts to compare findings from depressed patients in China and Western countries.
Highlights
The importance of cultural factors on psychiatric illness has been a subject of considerable interest in discussions concerning major depression (MD) in the world’s largest population, that of China
Prevalence rates of MD are typically lower in China and other East Asian countries than commonly seen elsewhere in the world (Weissman et al 1996; Chen et al 1999; Lee et al 2009) and MD is often associated with higher levels of disability compared to Western countries (Simon et al 2002)
Congruent with studies in European-derived populations (Brown & Harris, 1978; Kendler et al 1998, 2000; Fergusson & Mullen, 1999; Parker, 1990), results from this study have shown that the risk for MD in Chinese women is appreciably increased by childhood sexual abuse (Cong et al 2012; Chen et al 2014), poor parenting (Gao et al 2012), and stressful life events (Tao et al 2011)
Summary
The importance of cultural factors on psychiatric illness has been a subject of considerable interest in discussions concerning major depression (MD) in the world’s largest population, that of China. Prevalence rates of MD are typically lower in China and other East Asian countries than commonly seen elsewhere in the world (Weissman et al 1996; Chen et al 1999; Lee et al 2009) and MD is often associated with higher levels of disability compared to Western countries (Simon et al 2002). This has been ascribed to a reduced tendency to report psychiatric symptoms unless very impairing, a perspective termed ‘cultural stoicism’ (Chang et al 2008; Liao et al 2012). Do DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for major depression (MD) in Chinese and Western women perform in a similar manner?
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
