Predictors of scores on the Brief Symptom Inventory for ethnically diverse female clients

Predictors of Brief Symptom Inventory scores were identified for an ethnically diverse group of 60 female psychiatric outpatients, with a modal diagnosis of mood disorder. Ethnicity, as well as other variables, were meaningful predictors on the Somatic, Phobia, and Positive Symptom Total scales. Mexican- and African-Americans scored higher than Euro-Americans on these scales. Implications for using this measure with diverse clients in similar settings are discussed.