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The construct validity of depression during adolescence: A multitrait-multimethod investigation
Abstract
To validate the construct of depression during adolescence, 139 female and 96 male adolescents who ranged from 12 to 18 years old (M = 15.14) from junior high and senior high public schools were evaluated using self-report, parent-report, and teacher-report measures. The students completed the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), the Youth Self Report form (YSR), the Hopelessness Scale for Children (HSC), and the Positive Affectivity-Negative Affectivity Scale (PANAS). Parents completed the Parent form of the Children's Depression Inventory (P-CDI) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Teachers completed the Teachers Report Form (TRF). All analyses were done separately for girls and boys. The multitrait-multimethod matrices included depression, anxiety, and anger/aggression scales. The correlations were examined according to Campbell and Fiske's (1959) criteria. Convergent validity of adolescent depression was weakly supported for both girls and boys. Discriminant validity was not supported in the three matrix comparisons. The self-report data does not support the hypothesis that the correlation between hopelessness and depression is greater than the correlation between hopelessness and anxiety. There was some support for the hypothesis that hopelessness correlated more with depression than with the broader constructs of general distress and negative affectivity. A gender difference was found in the correlation between the CDI and the YSR-Total score, with the correlation for girls being significantly higher than the correlation for boys. Alternative conceptualizations of depression are discussed. The implications discussed for psychologists' working with adolescents include what should be assessed and from whom should information be gathered.
Subject Area
Educational psychology|Psychotherapy|Psychological tests
Recommended Citation
Hill, Kerrie J, "The construct validity of depression during adolescence: A multitrait-multimethod investigation" (1991). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9211491.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9211491