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Psychometric Properties of the PHQ-A among a Sample of Children and Adolescents in Puerto Rico

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Abstract

This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish translation of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 modified for adolescents (PHQ-A) on a sample of children and adolescents. This is especially pertinent considering that depression often goes unnoticed among children and adolescents, and research about screening instruments is limited. The sample consisted of secondary data of 567 students residing in Puerto Rico. We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis to test the factorial structure of the PHQ-A. A multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) was performed to examine invariance across gender, and correlations between depression, anxiety and trauma scores were evaluated as evidence of convergent validity. Results indicated a better fit when removing the ninth item of the scale which evaluates suicidal ideation, making reference to the PHQ-8. The MG-CFA also suggests that symptoms of depression are similar between youth despite gender. PHQ-8 scores were positively correlated with anxiety and trauma scores, which evidence convergent validity. In conclusion, the PHQ-8 modified for adolescents (PHQ-8-A) could prove to be a useful instrument for the assessment and early treatment of depression symptoms considering groups who are at-risk such as minorities and youth.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Victim Compensation Grant Program, Department of Justice, grant number VA-GX-0039.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Tercera Misión, Carlos Albizu University, 00902-3711, Puerto Rico

    Stephanie López-Torres, Coralee Pérez-Pedrogo, Israel Sánchez-Cardona & Marizaida Sánchez-Cesáreo

  2. Division of Community Services, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico

    Coralee Pérez-Pedrogo & Marizaida Sánchez-Cesáreo

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  1. Stephanie López-Torres
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  2. Coralee Pérez-Pedrogo
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  3. Israel Sánchez-Cardona
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  4. Marizaida Sánchez-Cesáreo
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Correspondence to Stephanie López-Torres.

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López-Torres, S., Pérez-Pedrogo, C., Sánchez-Cardona, I. et al. Psychometric Properties of the PHQ-A among a Sample of Children and Adolescents in Puerto Rico. Curr Psychol 41, 90–98 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00468-7

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