Factorial Validity and Invariance of an Adolescent Depression Symptom Screening Tool

Depression is among the most common mental health disorders in youth, results in significant impairment, and is associated with a higher risk of suicide. Screening is essential, but assessment tools may not account for the complex interrelatedness of various demographic factors, such as sex, socioeconomic status, and race.

To determine the (1) the factor structure of the Patient Health Questionnaire-Adolescent (PHQ-A) for measuring depression in a group of adolescent athletes and (2) measurement invariance between Black and White patients on the PHQ-A.

Retrospective cohort design.

Data were obtained from a secure database collected at a free, comprehensive, mass preparticipation physical examination event hosted by a large health care system.

Participants were 683 high school athletes (Black = 416, White = 267). The independent variables were somatic and affective factors contributing to the construct of depression measured by the PHQ-A and participant race (Black or White).

(1) Factors upon which the construct of depression is measured and (2) measurement invariance between Black and White participants.

A 2-factor model, involving affective and somatic components, was specified and exhibited adequate fit to the data (comparative fit index >0.90). All items exhibited moderate to high squared multiple correlation values (R2 = 0.10-0.65), suggesting that these items resonated relatively well with participants. The 2-factor model demonstrated noninvariance between Black and White participants (root mean square error of approximation = 0.06-0.08).

Overall, the structure of the PHQ-A was supported by a 2-factor model in adolescent athletes, measuring both affective and somatic symptoms of depression. However, a 2-factor PHQ-A structure was not fully invariant for the adolescents sampled across participant groups, indicating that the model functioned differently between the Black and White participants sampled.