Gender, age, and longitudinal measurement invariance of child and adolescent depression scales: A systematic review

Understanding developmental trajectories and gender differences in depressive symptoms is clinically relevant. Discerning true differences across gender, age groups, and time is based on the often-neglected premise of measurement invariance (MI) of child and adolescent depression scales. In this systematic review, we assessed available evidence for MI across gender, age groups, and time for depression scales validated in children and adolescents, in studies with at least one assessment under age 18. A literature search using Medline, PsychInfo, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases identified 42 studies that examined MI. MI of eleven scales was tested in 1–9 studies per scale. Conclusions are hampered by different factor solutions tested within some scales. All included questionnaires showed preliminary evidence for MI across gender. Across some studies, crying had higher factor loadings in females compared to males, indicating that crying may be differently related to depression across gender. MI evidence was preliminary in just four scales across time, mostly confined to ages 13–17. One study showed developmental conclusions differed when non-invariance is not accounted for in observed scores. Overall, evidence for MI in child and adolescent depression scales is currently limited. •We evaluated measurement invariance (MI) of child and adolescent depression scales.•We identified 42 relevant studies that investigated MI across gender, age, or time.•Studies tested 11 scales; all scales showed preliminary evidence of MI across gender.•Four scales showed some evidence of MI across time; three showed this by age group.•Evidence for MI in child and adolescent depression scales is limited.