Camouflaging depression.

Abstract

Many individuals with depression have been observed to exert effort to appear non-depressed. This effort, referred to as camouflaging, has been systematically studied among individuals with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but not among individuals with more common disorders such as depression. The purpose of this research was to examine camouflaging amongst individuals with depression and develop a camouflaging instrument specifically for depression. The Camouflaging Depression Scale (CDS) was developed and administered to 292 individuals experiencing varying levels of depression along with other clinical measures. In this sample, engagement in camouflaging was common and similarly occurred among individuals across varying levels of depression and demographic characteristics. The final 14-item CDS had a unitary factor structure with good internal consistency and temporal reliability across two weeks, and the CDS was associated with a self-monitoring scale. CDS scores were also associated with measures of depression, distress, fatigue, and internalized stigma. The CDS provides a means for researchers, diagnosticians, and clinicians to more accurately measure and examine this under-recognized phenomenon.