Taxonicity of adolescent melancholia: a categorical or dimensional construct?

A taxometric analysis was conducted to test the hypothesis that the latent structure of melancholia in adolescents is categorical. Two taxometric procedures were used: Mean Above Minus Below a Cut (MAMBAC) and Maximum Covariance (MAXCOV) analyses. Participants were 378 adolescents presenting for a depression evaluation. Indicators of melancholia were constructed using items from the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Aged Children (K-SADS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The indicators of melancholia were consistent with a categorical latent variable. The findings suggest that the latent structure of melancholia in adolescents is similar to its previously identified categorical structure in adults. Implications for clinical research are discussed.