Measuring Depression in African American Cancer Survivors: The Reliability and Validity of the Center for Epidemiologic Study—Depression (CES-D) Scale

Abstract

The Center for Epidemiologic Study-Depression (CES-D) Scale has been used to assess levels of depressive symptomatology in cancer survivors but has not been validated in African American cancer survivors. The current study assessed the reliability and validity of the CES-D in 216 African American cancer survivors. A Cronbach alpha was calculated to determine internal consistency reliability, and correlations were computed between the CES-D and other measure of mood states (Profile of Mood States-Short Form and Bradburn Positive and Negative Affect Scales) to assess concurrent validity. The CES-D demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (= .90), and the concurrent validity was supported by significant correlations with other measures of mood states. These analyses indicate that the CES-D is a reliable and valid measure for use with African American cancer survivors. The mean CES-D score (M = 15.7, SD = 11.89) further suggests that this sample of African American cancer survivors exhibit significant levels of depressive symptomatology.

Loneliness and Self-rated Health among Church-Attending African Americans

“…Another limitation of the study is the low internal consistency produced by the depressive symptoms measure (CESD-10). While previous studies have used the CESD with an African American population and produced a more acceptable Cronbach’s alpha, 65,66 clinical research has found that African Americans may exhibit atypical depressive symptomology, 67 which may have influenced our results. In addition, this study’s use of the 10-item version of the CESD as opposed to the 20-item scale may have led to the less than desirable reliability.…”

Factors related to depression in rural and urban noncustodial, low‐income fathers

“…The psychometric properties have previously been found to be consistent across age, sex, and ethnic subgroups~Radloff & Locke, 1986!. Numerous researchers~e.g., Brown, Brody, & Stoneman, 2000;Conerly, Baker, & Dye, 2002;Knight & McCallum, 1998;Letiecq & Koblinsky, 2003;McCallion & Kolomer, 2000! have used the CES-D to investigate mental health outcomes among African American populations and estab- & Trivette, 1984!…”

A review and recommendations for optimal outcome measures of anxiety, depression and general distress in studies evaluating psychosocial interventions for English-speaking adults with heterogeneous cancer diagnoses

“…Items from the tension-anxiety and depression-dejection scales of both versions closely resemble DSM-IV-TR criteria, albeit with heavy emphasis on the cardinal features rather than across the gamut of symptoms. The depressiondejection scale of the POMS-65 has also correlated highly with the CES-D (0.63 [54]; 0.80 [55]), which, together with the SCL-90-R, offers the most comprehensive assessment of DSM criteria of PROMs reviewed here.…”