THE BECK-DEPRESSION-INVENTORY - A CROSS-VALIDATED TEST OF 2ND-ORDER FACTORIAL STRUCTURE FOR BULGARIAN ADOLESCENTS

The purpose of the present study was to test for the validity of a hig her order factorial structure of a Bulgarian version of the Beck Depre ssion Inventory (BDI) for nonclinical adolescents. In a cross validati on of three independent samples (n(1) = 227; n(2) = 172; n(3) = 292), and based on the analysis of covariance structures within the framewor k of a confirmatory factor analytic model, findings yielded exceptiona lly strong support for the hypothesized second-order three-factor stru cture. These findings add to a growing cross-cultural agglomerate of c onstruct validity data related to the factorial structure of the BDI. Results are expected to be of substantial interest to both researchers and clinicians whose concerns focus on depression as it bears on this population.