Depression studies in the Philippines generally
utilize inventories created for, and standardized in, western countries.
Western assessments may not accurately measure the unique factors and elements
which lead to depression among Filipinos, yet few other options are readily
available. In response to recent calls for indigenous assessments, we created
the Filipino Student Depression Inventory (FSDI) and conducted a pilot study
(N=102) among native Filipino undergraduate students attending an American
university. Through factor analysis, the FSDI measures four specific
subcategories relevant to Filipino culture: familial connectedness, discomfort
with self and others, academic performance, and familial finances. Our study identified
that the FSDI demonstrated sufficient reliability, as shown by Cronbach's Alpha
=.89, Test-retest Pearson's r=.88, and Spearman Brown r=.87. We also demonstrated sufficient construct
validity with the University Student Depression Inventory r=.87, a high level
of discriminant validity with self-ratings r=.83, and self-report confirmation
through a clinical interview. It is
hoped that the FSDI will provide a more culturally accurate measure for
identifying depression among Filipino students.
