THE BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY - TESTING AND CROSS-VALIDATING A 2ND-ORDER FACTORIAL STRUCTURE FOR SWEDISH NONCLINICAL ADOLESCENTS

The intent of the present study was to test for the validity and equiv alency of a second-order factorial structure of the Beck Depression In ventory for and across three independent samples (n(1) = 661; n(2) = 2 39; n(3) = 196) of nonclinical Swedish adolescents. The model under st udy derived from a cross-validated study of Canadian high school adole scents. Model fitting, testing and equating were based on the analysis of covariance structures within the framework of a confirmatory facto r analytic model. Of major importance was the tenability of the hypoth esized model for Swedish adolescents. Only minor differences where fou nd among samples, which involved correlated errors and one cross-loadi ng (Sample 2). Results are expected to be of substantial interest to b oth researchers and clinicians whose concerns focus on depression as i t bears on this population.