Factor structure of the 10-item CES-D scale among community dwelling older adults in Singapore.

Objective: To establish the factor structure, reliability and validity of a brief CESD scale among Community dwelling older adults in Singapore.

Method: Data were derived from interviews conducted among 1,013 randomly selected non-institutionalized older adults aged 65 years and above in Singapore. First, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted to test three factors in the entire sample: a one-factor model, a two-factor model (Depressed affect, Positive affect) and a three-factor model (Depressed affect, Somatic retardation, and Positive affect). Next, Multi-Group Analysis was conducted to test the scale invariance for male and female older adults.

Results: Findings supported a two-factor model--depressed affect and positive affect for the entire sample. In addition, multi-group analysis showed the two-factor structure to be invariant for male and female older adults.

Conclusion: Brief CESD demonstrates adequate reliability and validity. The CESD scores can be used to compare symptoms of depression between male and female older adults.