Evaluating short-form versions of the CES-D for measuring depressive symptoms among immigrants from Mexico

This article examines the feasibility of using a short-form version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies--Depression Scale (CES-D) in community mental health research with Mexican immigrants. Several features of three published short versions of the CES-D were examined using data combined from seven diverse Mexican immigrant samples from across the United States (N = 685). Results indicate that published short-form versions of the CES-D are reliable, they account for most of the variance in scores from the full CES-D, and there is little evidence that the use of short forms attenuates associations with other concepts relevant to understanding the mental health of Mexican immigrants. Although additional validation research is necessary, the results of this study suggest that short-form versions of the CES-D can be used to study mental health among Mexican immigrants. Keywords: Mexicans; depressive symptoms; measurement; community research; immigrants