Evaluation of the CES-D Scale factor structure in a sample of second-generation Arab-Americans

Abstract

Very few studies have examined the psychometric properties of mental health measures for use with the immigrant Arab American population, and fewer still have evaluated measures for use with the second generation. The present study evaluated the reliability and factor structure of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). A total of 119 second-generation Americans of Arab descent completed the instrument on a Website. Cronbach's alpha was high, at .90. Principle components factor analysis yielded a three-factor solution in which emotional and physiological symptoms overlapped in one factor. These results are consistent with many other studies of ethnic minority immigrants, which report that affective and somatic symptoms were not experienced as separate. They are also consistent with research on the somatization of depression among Arabs living in the Middle East. However, the results challenge assumptions that as a result of the acculturation process, children of immigrants will experience depression more similar to the mainstream population rather than immigrants. Additionally, more than 40% of participants reported scores above the cut-off for clinically significant depression. Further research is needed to determine a more accurate cut-off score and identify the causes for the high self-reported depression.

Keywords:

• depression
• Arab American
• CES-D
• second-generation
• ethnic minority
• factor analysis

Acknowledgement

Appreciation is extended to the Arab American Institute Foundation for providing financial support for this study.

Notes on contributors

Mona M. Amer, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of psychology at the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, and Egyptology at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. Her research interests are in ethnic/racial disparities in mental health, with a focus on Arab and Muslim Americans. She is particularly interested in how immigration, acculturation, discrimination, and poor clinician competence contribute to the disparities.

Germine Awad, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Human Development, Culture, & Learning Sciences Program in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research interests include prejudicial attitudes toward minorities and immigrants, ethnic identity, racial identity, and acculturation (with a focus on Arab and African Americans), affirmative action attitudes, and multicultural research methodology.

Joseph D. Hovey, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at The University of Toledo and Director of its Program for the Study of Immigration and Mental Health. He is a clinical psychologist with a long-standing interest in studying cultural risk factors in mental health. Much of his research has focused on risk and protective factors in the mental health of acculturating individuals as well as the developmental of psychological measures appropriate for various cultural groups.