Presentation Schedule
Causal Beliefs of Depression: A Multi-group Factor Analysis Comparing Asian and White Undergraduates in Hawaii (92312)
Wednesday, 26 March 2025 15:40
Session: Poster Session 3
Room: Orion Hall (5F)
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Cross-cultural studies indicate both universal (e.g., stress) and culture-specific (e.g., supernatural phenomena) causal beliefs about the etiology of depression. Across studies, the underlying factor structure of causal beliefs has been found to vary across cultural groups. Causal beliefs about depression have been linked to logically related treatment preferences (e.g., a belief in biological causes is associated with a preference for medication), so they may represent an important predictor of help-seeking attitudes and behaviors, and treatment engagement. The present study aims to examine the factor structure of causal beliefs of depression across an ethnically diverse sample of undergraduates in Hawaii. As part of a larger study on mental health beliefs, undergraduate students at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (n=994; data collection ongoing) completed the Causes & Cures of Depression measure (Furnham et al., 2016). The preliminary sample included 292 White participants, 228 East Asian participants, and 190 Southeast Asian participants. An initial EFA was conducted in R using principal axis factoring and varimax rotation across the full sample. A series of EFAs suggested the best fit with a 6-factor model, which appears to include environmental & social stressors, spiritual or supernatural factors, biological/neurological factors, lifestyle/behavior factors, cognitive factors, and miscellaneous factors. This model contributes to prior research by supporting a six-factor structure. Subsequent analyses will explore differences and similarities between ethnic groups.
Authors:
Monet Meyer, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, United States
Jack Barile, University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States
Seongah Im, University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States
About the Presenter(s)
Monet Meyer is a doctoral candidate at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa in clinical psychology.
See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule
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