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Measurement of Depressive Symptoms in Women With Breast Cancer and Women With Clinical Depression: A Differential Item Functioning Analysis

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Abstract

Differential item functioning (DIF) analyses of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) were conducted on samples of 267 women with breast cancer and 294 women with clinical depression. Patterns of items in which there was significant and nonsignificant DIF were identified using statistical tests and measures of DIF effect size. At the most general level, 15 of 21 BDI-II items were associated with nontrivial DIF suggesting that the item responses of these samples do not reflect the same underlying construct. Factor analyses of the BDI-II using a psychometrically defensible method for item level factor analysis supported the conclusions from the DIF analyses. These findings suggest that researchers and practitioners should apply caution when interpreting self-report depression symptoms in breast cancer patients.

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Author notes

  1. Ellen Beckjord

    Present address: Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, National Institute’s of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

    Niels G. Waller, Bruce E. Compas & Ellen Beckjord

  2. Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

    Steven D. Hollon

  3. Department of Psychology and Human Development, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, 37203

    Niels G. Waller

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  1. Niels G. Waller
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Correspondence to Niels G. Waller.

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Waller, N.G., Compas, B.E., Hollon, S.D. et al. Measurement of Depressive Symptoms in Women With Breast Cancer and Women With Clinical Depression: A Differential Item Functioning Analysis. J Clin Psychol Med Settings 12, 127–141 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-005-3273-x

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