Nonresponse on the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale in Chinese Americans

This paper examines the phenomenon of nonresponse on the CES-D in a group of Chinese-American. Of the 403 respondents, 43 missed 1 to 4 CES-D items and 43 missed more than 4 items. The completers were likely to be younger and better educated men. Those who missed up to four items were likely to be middle-aged men, and missed the positive items most frequently. This was discussed within the context of Chinese cultural values. The group who missed more than four items were likely to be older women. For them, nonresponse may be a result of unfamiliarity with survey research and reluctance to share personal experiences with strangers. Implications of this investigation are discussed.