Are comparisons of mental disorders between Chinese and German students possible? An examination of measurement invariance for the PHQ-15, PHQ-9 and GAD-7

Table 3 Fit Indices from Comparative Factor Analysis (CFA) and Invariance Analyses between Groups for the PHQ-15

	χ2 (df)	CFI	RMSEA [90% CI]	SRMR	ΔCFI	Δχ2 (df)
model A. one-factor model
German Students	369.242 (90)	.716	.086 [.077, .096]	.065
Chinese Students	323.274 (90)	.827	.079 [.070, .089]	.057
model B. four-factor model
German Students	168.941 (84)	.914	.049 [.038, .060]	.049	.016	200.301 (6)
Chinese Students	170.681 (84)	.936	.050 [.039, .061]	.042	.015	152.593 (6)
Multiple group CFA model B
Configural invariance	339.622 (168)	.926	.050 [.042, .057]	.045
Metric invariance	410.344 (183)	.902	.055 [.048, .062]	.071	.024	70.722 (15)
λ₉ free	393.042 (182)	.909	.053 [.046, .060]	.063	.023	53.420 (14)
λ_9, λ₁₀ free	383.574 (181)	.913	.052 [.045, .059]	.059	.013	43.952 (13)
λ_9, λ_10, λ₁₁ free	371.885 (180)	.918	.051 [.043, .058]	.056	.008	32.263 (12), p > .001
Scalar invariance	556.111 (195)	.845	.067 [.060, .073]	.067	.073	184.226 (15)
τ₁₀ free	501.412 (194)	.868	.062 [.059, .069]	.062	.050	129.527 (14)
τ_10, τ₂ free	482.435 (193)	.876	.060 [.053, .067]	.060	.042	110.55 (13)
τ_10, τ_2, τ₅ free	469.157 (192)	.881	.059 [.052, .066]	.059	.037	97.272 (12)
τ_10, τ_2, τ_5, τ₁₂ free	451.368 (191)	.887	.058 [.051, .065]	.058	.031	79.483 (11)
τ_10, τ_2, τ_5, τ_12, τ₉ free	440.687 (190)	.892	.056 [.050, .063]	.056	.026	68.802 (10)
τ₁₀, τ₂, τ_5, τ_12, τ_9, τ₆ free	430.746 (189)	.896	.056 [.049, .062]	.054	.022	58.864 (9), p < .001

Notes. PHQ-15 = Patient Health Questionnaire-15 Physical Symptoms; Item 2 = ‘back pain’; item 5 = ‘pain or problems during sexual intercourse’; item 6 = ‘headaches’; item 9 = ‘fainting spells’; item 10 = ‘feeling your heart pound or race’; item 11 = ‘shortness of breath’; item 12 = ‘constipation, loose bowels, or diarrhea.’ All χ² tests and Δχ2 were significant, p < .001

ISSN: 1471-244X