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Use of item response theory to understand differential functioning of DSM-IV major depression symptoms by race, ethnicity and gender

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 June 2008

L. A. Uebelacker ,
D. Strong ,
L. M. Weinstock  and
I. W. Miller
L. A. Uebelacker*
Affiliation:
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
D. Strong
Affiliation:
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
L. M. Weinstock
Affiliation:
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
I. W. Miller
Affiliation:
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr L. A. Uebelacker, Butler Hospital, 345 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence, RI 02906, USA. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Psychological literature and clinical lore suggest that there may be systematic differences in how various demographic groups experience depressive symptoms, particularly somatic symptoms. The aim of the current study was to use methods based on item response theory (IRT) to examine whether, when equating for levels of depression symptom severity, there are demographic differences in the likelihood of reporting DSM-IV depression symptoms.

Method

We conducted a secondary analysis of a subset (n=13 753) of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) dataset, which includes a large epidemiological sample of English-speaking Americans. We compared data from women and men, Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites, African Americans and Whites, Asian Americans and Whites, and American Indians and Whites.

Results

There were few differences overall, although the differences that we did find were primarily limited to somatic symptoms, and particularly appetite and weight disturbance.

Conclusions

For the most part, individuals responded similarly to the criteria used to diagnose major depression across gender and across English-speaking racial and ethnic groups in the USA.

Keywords

Major depressionitem response theory
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 39 , Issue 4 , April 2009 , pp. 591 - 601
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Cambridge University Press

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