Factor Structure of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in South Korea

• DOI: 10.4236/ojmp.2014.34031
• Publication Date: 2014-07-06T23:02:07Z
• Authors: Shuntaro Aoki; Akira Tsuda; Satoshi Horiuchi; Euiyeon Kim; Mayu Naruse; Aki Tsuchiyagaito; Kwangshik Hong
• Keywords: 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; 4. Education

Results of previous studies from North America reported that only 14 out of the 20 items from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) were required to assess negative affect, somatic symptoms, and anhedonia. However, it remains unclear whether this three-factor structure of the CES-D would be valid in South Korea. The purpose of this study is to examine the validity of the three-factor structure with a Korean version of the CES-D. The participants were Korean college students (N = 215), elementary school teachers (N = 234), and parents of elementary school students (N = 230). Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to examine the scale’s validity. Results indicated that the three-factor structure showed acceptable fit to data (comparative fit index = 0.95; root mean square error of approximation = 0.06). The findings indicated that the three-factor structure of the CES-D was valid in South Korea.