Latent Class Analysis of Anxiety and Depression

Abstract

This article applies the technique of Latent Class Analysis to data on 41 symptoms of anxiety and depression from the Baltimore and Durham sites of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program. An exploratory analysis on the Baltimore data fit three latent classes, which were then replicated on the Durham data. An analysis of Dysphoria and eight symptom groups related to depression revealed a close fit between the DSM-III configuration of Major Depressive Disorder and one of three latent classes.