A taxometric study of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale

The authors assessed the latent structure of depressive symptoms as measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; L. S. Radloff, 1977). By using taxometric procedures, the authors conducted analyses of CES-D data obtained from a large college student population. These procedures incorporated strategies for interpreting analyses of skewed indicators and small putative taxa. The authors hypothesized that CES-D total scores would be represented as a dimension, with a taxonic distribution of a factor incorporating somatic symptoms. Results indicated that all CES-D factors, including the factor composed of somatic complaints, were dimensional. Administration of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule-IV (L. N. Robins, L. Marcus, & W. Reich, 1996) to one quarter of the participants indicated that the CES-D was effective in identifying cases of current or recent clinical depression. Evidence of the dimensionality of CES-D indicators in a student population is consistent with a continuity view of depressive symptoms.