Doctorate in Clinical Psychology : Main Research Portfolio

: (Alternative Format Thesis) 1) Expression of Adolescent Depression Cross-nationally: A Narrative Review; 2) Complex Emotional Needs in Older Adults: A Scoping Project on Demand, Need and Challenges; 3) Validity and Measurement Invariance of the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire across Adolescent Sex and Ethnicity in the Millennium Cohort Study.

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical period for the onset of depression symptoms, and the Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) is a valid screening tool for this purpose. However, there is limited research examining the psychometric properties of the 13-item, youth-report SMFQ, across sex and ethnicity. The present study investigated the convergent construct validity and measurement invariance (MI) of the SMFQ across sex and ethnicity in a United Kingdom (UK)cohort study sample. Data was obtained from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) sixth data collection point when adolescents were aged 14 years (n = obtained 11725, analysed 8814). A confirmatory factor analysis showed that the SMFQ had a unidimensional factor structure, and SMFQ scores were significantly positively related to parent report of internalising symptoms, and negatively related to youth-reported self-satisfaction and happiness. The SMFQ demonstrated MI across both sex (male, female) and ethnicity (Black, Indian, Pakistan and Bangladesh, White) at configural, metric, and scalar levels. Results provide support for the convergent construct validity and MI across sex and major ethnic groups in the UK in the SMFQ, supporting its use as a screening tool for depression symptoms in mid-adolescence.10Future research should examine its MI across additional gender identities and across multiple facets of adolescent cultural identity.

Date of Award	10 Sept 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Jennifer Allen (Supervisor)