Psychometric Analysis of Scores on a Mexican Dialect Spanish Version of the PHQ-9 With Mexican Earthquake Survivors

Abstract

This study explored the psychometric characteristics of the PHQ-9 scores in a sample of 289 Spanish-speaking participants who endured the 2017 Mw7.1 earthquake, which impacted the Mexican states of Puebla and Morelos, as well as the Greater Mexico City area. The community members completed linguistically and culturally adapted measures of the Mexican dialect Spanish versions of the PHQ-9, GAD-7, and PCL-5. A confirmatory factor analysis of the PHQ-9 scores on the Mexican sample yielded a unidimensional factor structure with mostly adequate to excellent fit statistics. Strong measurement invariance was observed between males and females. PHQ-9 total scale Cronbach's alpha was 0.897 across the total sample. The PHQ-9 total score displayed adequate convergent validity (r ≥ 0.50) with the PCL-5 and GAD-7. In sum, the PHQ-9 is a free, quick, and easy-to-administer instrument used to screen for depression with excellent psychometric characteristics for this Mexican dialect Spanish version.