Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test for age-related the CDI total score and item-level differences and to examine factor structure of the CDI using exploratory factor analysis in community sample of 233 children and 369 adolescents. Next, five models about factor structure of the CDI reported in previous studies and result of exploratory factor analysis was evaluated with confirmatory factor analysis in clinic-referred samples of 182 children and 278 adolescents. The following results could be obtained. First, adolescents were significantly higher in total score than children. Second, adolescents were significantly higher in item of negative self-images, sad mood and school related problems than children, on the other hand children significantly higher in item of appetite and sleep than adolescents. Third, result of exploratory factor analysis was obtained three correlated model in children and four correlated model in adolescents. Fourth, result of confirmatory factor analysis in clinic-referred sample was identified three correlated model in children and four correlated model in adolescents which were equal result of exploratory factor analysis. The clinical implication and limitations of this study were discussed. The results indicate that factor structure of CDI using confirmatory factor analysis was performed at first to consider developmental difference of depressive symptoms in Korean clinical samples.