Mexican-American and Anglo-American endorsement of items on the MMPI-2 and scale 2, the center for epidemiological studies depression scale, and the Cohen-Hoberman Inventory of Physical Symptoms

Despite their frequently assumed similarity psychologically, differences have been found to exist not only between Anglo-Americans and Mexican-Americans, but amongst Mexican-Americans themselves. Mexican-Americans differ amongst themselves in terms of their acculturation, and from Anglo-Americans in terms of the expression of distress and depression. The purpose of this study was to test for differences between them (in a male sample) generally on the new MMPI-2, and more specifically, to investigate the hypotheses that Mexican-Americans tend to manifest more somatic symptoms of distress in comparison to the more mood-oriented symptoms of Anglo-Americans. These hypotheses were investigated on the MMPI-2, as well as a mood-oriented depression scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (the CES-D), and a scale of somatic symptoms, the Cohen-Hoberman Inventory of Physical Symptoms (CHIPS). It also was hypothesized that the more acculturated a Mexican-American is, the more likely he is to manifest mood-oriented symptoms. Male Mexican-American and Anglo-American VA inpatients were administered the MMPI-2, the CES-D, and the CHIPS, and the former group also were given the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican-Americans (Cuellar & Jasso, 1979). A one-way MANCOVA was used to test scale differences on the MMPI. The endorsement of mood-oriented and somatic-oriented items on Scale 2 (Depression) of the MMPI-2 as well as scores on the CES-D and the CHIPS was examined for ethnic group differences using a one-way MANCOVA. Finally, item endorsement was correlated with acculturation for the Mexican-Americans only. Significant ethnic differences were found on three scales, but these appeared related to ethnicity only on Scale L. Significant differences between the groups on item types were unrelated to ethnicity. Acculturation in the Mexican-Americans was marginally related to somatic symptoms. Results are discussed in light of previous research and the sample population.