THE MEASUREMENT STRUCTURE OF THE CENTER FOR EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES DEPRESSION SCALE

This study examined the temporal stability of the measurement structur e of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D; Rad loff, 1977) in 813 individuals with rheumatoid arthritis. Participants completed the CES-D (Radloff, 1977) on three occasions 1 year apart. Structural equation models and polyserial correlations were used to ad dress methodological limitations of previous studies. Four competing m easurement structures were tested with one factor, three factors, four factors, and a single second-order factor underlying the four-factor model. The four-factor and the second-order-factor models provided the best fit at Time 1. When cross-validated at Times 2 and 3, the four-f actor and the second-order-factor models remained invariant. Researche rs can now more confidently use the CES-D to examine how distress chan ges in chronic physical disorders.