DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN

This project examined the prevalence of depressive symptoms in an Afri can-American female college student sample. Concordance rates between two of the most widely used psychometric instruments in clinical setti ngs, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, revised edition (MMPI-2; Hathway & McKinley, 1967) and the Beck Depression Inventory ( BDI; Beck, Ward, Mendelson, Mack, & Erbaugh, 1961), were examined. Res ults revealed that the MMPI-2 was a more conservative scale than the B DI in identifying depressive symptom levels, Both scales, however, ide ntified 12% to 18% of the sample as experiencing severe symptoms. Resu lts were Interpreted in light of the stress model of depression. Parti cipants who experienced many symptoms also had high levels of anxiety and passive coping styles, One significant covariate in this sample wa s mother's education level. Participants whose mothers had college exp erience had fewer depressive symptoms than their first-generation coll ege-experience peers. Results were interpreted in light of the possibl e ways mothers inoculate their daughters from stressful environments b ecause of their experiences and possible ways to use this process to a ssist first-generation college students.