TY - JOUR
T1 - Depression symptoms across cultures
T2 - an IRT analysis of standard depression symptoms using data from eight countries
AU - Haroz, E. E.
AU - Bolton, P.
AU - Gross, A.
AU - Chan, K. S.
AU - Michalopoulos, L.
AU - Bass, J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
PY - 2016/7/1
Y1 - 2016/7/1
N2 - Purpose: Prevalence estimates of depression vary between countries, possibly due to differential functioning of items between settings. This study compared the performance of the widely used Hopkins symptom checklist 15-item depression scale (HSCL-15) across multiple settings using item response theory analyses. Data came from adult populations in the low and middle income countries (LMIC) of Colombia, Indonesia, Kurdistan Iraq, Rwanda, Iraq, Thailand (Burmese refugees), and Uganda (N = 4732). Methods: Item parameters based on a graded response model were compared across LMIC settings. Differential item functioning (DIF) by setting was evaluated using multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) models. Results: Most items performed well across settings except items related to suicidal ideation and “loss of sexual interest or pleasure,” which had low discrimination parameters (suicide: a = 0.31 in Thailand to a = 2.49 in Indonesia; sexual interest: a = 0.74 in Rwanda to a = 1.26 in one region of Kurdistan). Most items showed some degree of DIF, but DIF only impacted aggregate scale-level scores in Indonesia. Conclusions: Thirteen of the 15 HSCL depression items performed well across diverse settings, with most items showing a strong relationship to the underlying trait of depression. The results support the cross-cultural applicability of most of these depression symptoms across LMIC settings. DIF impacted aggregate depression scores in one setting illustrating a possible source of measurement invariance in prevalence estimates.
AB - Purpose: Prevalence estimates of depression vary between countries, possibly due to differential functioning of items between settings. This study compared the performance of the widely used Hopkins symptom checklist 15-item depression scale (HSCL-15) across multiple settings using item response theory analyses. Data came from adult populations in the low and middle income countries (LMIC) of Colombia, Indonesia, Kurdistan Iraq, Rwanda, Iraq, Thailand (Burmese refugees), and Uganda (N = 4732). Methods: Item parameters based on a graded response model were compared across LMIC settings. Differential item functioning (DIF) by setting was evaluated using multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) models. Results: Most items performed well across settings except items related to suicidal ideation and “loss of sexual interest or pleasure,” which had low discrimination parameters (suicide: a = 0.31 in Thailand to a = 2.49 in Indonesia; sexual interest: a = 0.74 in Rwanda to a = 1.26 in one region of Kurdistan). Most items showed some degree of DIF, but DIF only impacted aggregate scale-level scores in Indonesia. Conclusions: Thirteen of the 15 HSCL depression items performed well across diverse settings, with most items showing a strong relationship to the underlying trait of depression. The results support the cross-cultural applicability of most of these depression symptoms across LMIC settings. DIF impacted aggregate depression scores in one setting illustrating a possible source of measurement invariance in prevalence estimates.
KW - Depression
KW - Global mental health
KW - Item response theory
KW - Measurement invariance
KW - Psychometrics
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U2 - 10.1007/s00127-016-1218-3
DO - 10.1007/s00127-016-1218-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 27083900
AN - SCOPUS:84963754771
SN - 0933-7954
VL - 51
SP - 981
EP - 991
JO - Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology
JF - Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology
IS - 7
ER -