Factor structure of self-reported depression: Clinic-referred children versus adolescents

The literature on childhood depression has often treated children and adolescents as a homogeneous group. However, research on cognitive and affective development suggests that the nature of depression may be different for these two age groups. We explored this possibility, separately factor analyzing Children's Depression Inventory responses for 110 clinic-referred children (aged 8-11 years) and 139 adolescents (aged 12-16 years). Although both groups produced three-factor solutions, a number of developmental differences were noted. All of the adolescent factors were correlated with parent perceptions of externalizing behavior, but none of the child factors were. Furthermore, gender differences on the factors were found for the adolescents only. And inspection of communality estimates indicated that whereas all of the CD] items were relatively involved in depression for the adolescents, only 20 of 26 items were involved for the children. Theoretical interpretation of the results was deferred pending replication of the factor structure. As a consequence of a sustained and intensive research effort spanning the past 20 years, a good deal is now known about depression in adults. However, relatively little is known about the childhood and adolescent counterparts, and even less about whether there are developmental differences in the patterning of depressive symptomatology. Results of the few available studies do suggest, though, that developmental changes may occur in depressive symptomatology (cf. Garber, 1984)