Ethnic and age differences in mental health measurements.

Data gathered in a survey of 1441 respondents were analyzed to study the influence of chronologmost equal representation of six age groups (20-29, 30-39, 40-54, 55-64, 65-74, 75-94), and three ethnic groups (Blacks, Anglos, Mexican-Americans). The sample includes equal representation of both sexes and two socioeconomic levels. The Twenty-two Item Screening Scale and the Affect Balance Scale are used as measures of mental health. The analyses show age-related and ethnic-related patterns; each pattern, however, is independent of the other. The age-related pattern is the same within the three ethnic groups, and the ethnic pattern is independent of age. Anglos report significantly more psychiatric symptoms, especially those of one factor grouping named "anxiety," and they report more recent experiences with both positive and negative affect than do Mexican-Americans and Blacks. The elderly persons "well enough" to participate in a long interview express no significant increase in symptomatology compared with younger groups. If the symptom expression is broken into several categories based on factor analysis, we find a small, significant increase in symptom expression by older groups on the factor grouping named "depression." Additionally, the older groups compared with middle-aged and younger groups, report less positive and negative affect expression.