Cross-Ethnic Measurement Equivalence of the Children’s Depression Inventory Among Youth in Foster Care

Previous research has indicated differences in the presentation and measurement of depressive symptoms across ethnic groups. In the current study, we examined the factor structure of the Children’s Depression Inventory in an ethnically diverse sample of adolescents in foster care (n = 346; Mage = 13.13 years, SD = 2.18 years) and examined the configural invariance of the measure across ethnic groups. Findings indicated a two-factor structure in the total sample. Furthermore, configural invariance was not supported, in that unique factor structures emerged for African American, White, and Hispanic subsamples. Findings hold implications for research and practice involving the assessment of depressive symptoms among youth in out-of-home care and among ethnic minority adolescents.