Pierre Baron

The Beck depression inventory: testing and cross-validating a second-order factorial structure for Swedish nonclinical adolescents.

The intent of the present study was to test for the validity and equivalency of a second-order factorial structure of the Beck Depression Inventory for and across three independent samples (n1 = 661; n2 = 239; n3 = 196) of nonclinical Swedish adolescents. The model under study derived from a cross-validated study of Canadian high school adolescents. Model fitting, testing and equating were based on the analysis of covariance structures within the framework of a confirmatory factor analytic model. Of major importance was the tenability of the hypothesized model for Swedish adolescents. Only minor differences where found among samples, which involved correlated errors and one cross-loading (Sample 2). Results are expected to be of substantial interest to both researchers and clinicians whose concerns focus on depression as it bears on this population.

Gender Differences in the Expression of Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescents

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether gender differences in the expression of depressive symptoms could be identified on the basis of responses to the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Participants were 207 French-Canadian high school students (83 males, 124 females) from a large metropolitan area of Central Canada. Unlike previous studies with depressed samples, discriminant function analyses of data obtained from nonclinical subjects in the present study revealed lower mean scores for males than females on all interpretable RADS and BDI items. The discrepancy between these and other findings is discussed in the context of the sex role socialization theory. It is argued that females in general may be more likely to report a variety of depressive symptoms, but when overall depression scores are high, both males and females present symptoms congruent with their respective socially prescribed gender roles.

The Beck Depression Inventory: A Cross-Validated Test of Second-Order Factorial Structure for Bulgarian Adolescents

The purpose of the present study was to test for the validity of a higher order factorial structure of a Bulgarian version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for non clinical adolescents. In a cross validation of three independent samples (n1 = 227; n2 = 172; n3 = 292), and based on the analysis of covariance structures within the framework of a confirmatory factor analytic model, findings yielded exceptionally strong support for the hypothesized second-order three-factor structure. These findings add to a growing cross-cultural agglomerate of construct validity data related to the factorial structure of the BDI. Results are expected to be of substantial interest to both researchers and clinicians whose concerns focus on depression as it bears on this population.

Identifying depressed and suicidal adolescents in a teen health clinic

PURPOSE This study examined the 6-month prevalence of depression and suicidal probability among new referrals to an adolescent health clinic. METHODS All subjects (n = 104) completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Suicide Probability Scale (SPS) prior to being seen by a physician and were categorized according to presenting problem (physical complaints only, psychological complaints only, and physical and psychological complaints combined). RESULTS Fifty-nine percent of the sample was depressed with 21% falling in the moderate range and 21% falling within the severe range of depression. Almost 23% of the sample demonstrated significant suicidal probability. The BDI and SPS were highly correlated (r = .73, p < .001) and 22% of the sample met criteria for both moderate to severe depression and suicidal probability. A significantly greater proportion of patients presenting with physical and psychological complaints combined (60%) met BDI criteria for depression than was found for the other two groups. Suicidal probability was most prevalent in patients presenting with psychological complaints only (26%) and moderate to severe depression and significant suicidal probability also coexisted to a greater extent within this group (26%). CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that depression and suicidal probability represent significant mental health problems within the adolescent clinic and the identification of high-risk individuals can be achieved through comprehensive screening practices.

The Beck Depression Inventory: Testing for its factorial validity and invariance across gender for Bulgarian non-clinical adolescents

Abstract Based on a community sample of 691 Bulgarian high school adolescents (male N = 293; females N = 398), the purposes of the study were two-fold: (a) to test for the factorial validity of a translated version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) separately for males and females; and (b) to test for the invariance of its factorial structure across gender. Confirmatory factor analytic findings replicated past research in showing that, although a second-order factor structure best described the data for both males and females, there was some evidence of differential item functioning across gender. These gender differences are discussed from both a substantive and a methodological perspective.

The Beck Depression Inventory (French Version): Testing for Gender-Invariant Factorial Structure for Nonclinical Adolescents

The purposes of the study were threefold: (a) to testforthefactorial validity of the French version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-FR) separatelyfornonclinical adolescent francophone males (n = 551) andfemales (n = 601), (b) to cross-validatefindings across a second independent sample for each gender, and (c) to test for equivalent factorial structure across genderfor this population. Exceptfor one differentialfactor loadingfor females (Item 17), the hypothesized higher order4-factor structure was found to be both tenable across validation samples andfactorially invariant across gender. Although the presence of error covariances for females partially replicated a similar pattern for Englishfemale adolescents, results generally provide strong supportfor the psychometric soundness of the BDI-FR.

Cross-national transferability of the two-factor model of parental rearing behaviour: A contrast of data from Canada, the Fed. Rep. Germany, Hungary, Japan, Singapore and Venezuela with Dutch target ratings on the EMBU

In order to contribute to the cross-cultural study of child-rearing practices and psychopathology, this pilot study sought to examine the cross-national generalizability of parental rearing constructs by analyzing self-report data on the EMBU, an instrument designed to assess memories of parental rearing behaviour. Of the four primary factors identified originally with Dutch individuals, namely Rejection, Emotional Warmth, Overprotection and Favouring Subject, the first three were replicated in a similar form in convenience samples comprising healthy research volunteers from Canada, the Fed. Rep. Germany, Hungary, Japan, Singapore and Venezuela. Scale-level factor analyses of the constructs evidencing cross-national constancy produced identical two-factor compositions (CARE and PROTECTION) across national samples. Basic analysis of item-bias showed such an influence in the Japanese sample only which necessitated a very minor modification in two EMBU subscales. Among other things, it was concluded that the EMBU dimensional framework can be as useful for scientific purposes in the different national groups as it has proved to be in the Netherlands.

Depressive symptoms in adolescents as a function of personality factors.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between the personality factors of sociotropy and autonomy and depressive symptomatology in a nonclinical sample of adolescents. One hundred and thirty-six adolescents (60 males, 76 females), ranging in age from 15 to 17 years and enrolled in a high school of the Western Quebec Regional School Board, completed the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory. Subjects with high sociotropy showed significantly more depressive symptoms than subjects with low sociotropy. With regard to autonomy, high autonomous females scored higher on the Beck Depression Inventory than high autonomous males. Results are discussed in light of the literature on adolescent depression.

Correlates of Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescence.

A relatively well-documented increase in depressive symptoms has been noted among some early adolescents; however, the factors that correlate with this increase have not been identified. In the present study, 26 boys and girls whose depressive symptoms increased from ages 11 years through 13 years were compared with 26 matched control participants whose depressive symptoms remained low over the same period. Comparisons were made on behavioral, psychological, social, family, school, and biological variables. At age 11, groups differed on feelings of loneliness, self-reported number of friends, social self-perceptions, behavioral self-perceptions (boys only), global self-worth (boys only), and self-reported parent–child relationships. At ages 12 and 13, groups differed on feelings of loneliness (boys only), self-perceptions in several domains, self-reported delinquency, and several dimensions of parent–child relationships. The usefulness of age 11 variables to predict increasing depressive symptoms during early adolescence and the influence of process variables during this period are discussed.

Egocentrism and Depressive Symptomatology in Adolescents

The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between egocentrism and depressive symptomatology in adolescents. One hundred ninety-four adolescents (108 males, 86 females), ranging in age from 12 to 17 years and enrolled in a high school in Quebec, completed the Adolescent Egocentrism-Sociocentrism Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory. As predicted, subjects with high egocentrism showed significantly more depressive symptoms than subjects with low egocentrism. Results are discussed in light of the literature on adolescent depression.