IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v55y2009i6p496-505.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Culturally Relevant Conceptualization of Depression: an Empirical Examination of the Factorial Structure of the Vietnamese Depression Scale

Author

Listed:
  • Tam Q. Dinh

    (School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, tamdinh@usc.edu)

  • Ann Marie Yamada

    (School of Social Work, University of Southern California)

  • Barbara W.K. Yee

    (University of Hawaii at Manoa, CTAHR, Honolulu, HI)

Abstract

Background: Despite the high risk of depression among Vietnamese refugees, there has been insufficient attention to the psychometric properties of the most utilized scale, the Vietnamese Depression Scale (VDS: Kinzie etal ., 1982). Aim: The primary aim of the study is to empirically derive the factorial structure of the VDS to support its use as a culturally responsive depression screening tool in community samples of Vietnamese adults. Method: The factorial structure, reliability, and associations of the VDS factors with recognized socio-demographic correlates were examined using data collected from interviews with a non-probability community sample of 180 Vietnamese refugee adults in the Houston area. Results: The empirically derived factorial structure of the VDS approximated the theorized conceptualization of depression introduced by the scale’s originators. Three factors (depressed affect, somatic symptoms, and cultural-specific symptoms) accounted for 65% of the variance. As hypothesized, the VDS factors correlated with age and acculturation variables. Conclusion: Overall results suggest that the conceptualization of depression among this sample of Vietnamese refugees has both universal and culturally specific features. Implications for providing culturally responsive mental health services are offered.

Suggested Citation

  • Tam Q. Dinh & Ann Marie Yamada & Barbara W.K. Yee, 2009. "A Culturally Relevant Conceptualization of Depression: an Empirical Examination of the Factorial Structure of the Vietnamese Depression Scale," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 55(6), pages 496-505, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:55:y:2009:i:6:p:496-505
    DOI: 10.1177/0020764008091675
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0020764008091675
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0020764008091675?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:55:y:2009:i:6:p:496-505. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.