How valid are the subscales of the Multiscore Depression Inventory?

Investigated subscales of the Multiscore Depression Inventory for construct and concurrent validity. A hierarchical cluster analysis based on the responses of 263 students provided support for the construct validity of Irritability, Energy Level, Guilt, Instrumental Helplessness, Social Introversion, and Cognitive Difficulty. The separation of Low Self-Esteem and Pessimism was supported only partially, while Learned Helplessness and Sad Mood combined in a single cluster. The graph-theoretic advantages of the cluster analysis permitted speculation about the relationship among the subscales. Factor-analytic examination of the same data demonstrated comparable evidence of construct validity for most scales. Concurrent validity was demonstrated on a sample of 89 students, with significant relationships obtained for all subscales with respective criterion measures, with the exception of Learned Helplessness, which had a low, but significant, correlation with its criterion. Discriminant validity was demonstrated by low correlations between the subscales and socially desirable responses.