Unmasking materialistic depression as a mental health problem: Its effect on depression and materialism in an African-United States undergraduate sample

BackgroundMisdiagnosis of African-U.S. persons is argued to be a built-in characteristic of Western-based assessment requiring augmentation with culture-focused input where possible. Regarding depression, materialistic depression is explained as an African-centered African-U.S. culture-focused construct of masked depression. Materialistic depression symptomatology is presented. Materialism orientation is postulated to necessarily be associated with materialistic depression.Method144 undergraduates, 37 male (25.7%) and 107 female (74.3%), average age of 21 completed the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale, the depression subscale of the Symptom Checklist 90-R, the materialism subscale of the Cultural Misorientation Scale, and the Materialistic Depression Quiz.ResultsContrasting high versus lower scoring MDQ groups on both depression scores produced reliable t-tests (p<.017). One-way ANOVA on materialism scores with high, medium, low MDQ groups was reliable (p<.017).LimitationThe sample precluded generalization to clinically depressed and non-college African-U.S. populations.ConclusionsUsing the Materialistic Depression Quiz, high scorers versus medium and low scorers had greater depression scores on two depression measures and greater materialism scores. Materialistic depression appears a masked form of depression not to be overlooked.