Psychometric Characteristics of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) among University Students

Abstract

Introduction: Negative emotional states, such as stress, anxiety, and depression, are occurring more frequently among young people, so their detection is a priority due to well-being conditions and their relationship with other kind of health damage. Although there are some measurement scales, in Mexico there is no validation evidence for this population group.

Objective: We aimed to determine the psychometric characteristics of the abridged version of the depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21) among health sciences students from a university located in the state of Veracruz, Mexico.

Method: A quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive study was carried out to determine the psychometric characteristics of the DASS-21 scale. The sample included 135 university students. The unweighted least squares extraction method with promax rotation was used to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis, after which criterion validity was analyzed.

Results: The confirmatory factor analysis established a three-factor model, which explain 59.9% of the variance and with factorial weights greater than .30. The analysis of structural equations corroborated the model with expected adjustment indices. Furthermore, the domains established a positive correlation between themselves and the total score. The Cronbach’s alpha, McDonall’s omega, and composite reliability indices are greater than .70, which reflects the consistency of the scores for each factor.

Conclusions: The psychometric characteristics for depression, anxiety, and stress subscales confirmed the internal and criterion validity. Also, the scores are consistent.