Further validating of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (Dass-21) in Chinese adolescents
Factor structure and measurement invariance
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15375166 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jie Luo (0000-0002-0484-4441, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research), Guohui Xian (Guizhou Normal University), Cheng-Kui Yao (VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research), Chengkui Yao, Jie Jin (0000-0002-5622-0964, Guizhou Normal University), Jianhua Zhao (0000-0001-5699-2000, Guizhou Normal University), Xi Song (0000-0003-3463-045X, Kunming University, corresponding author), Jie Gong (0000-0001-5897-7023, East China Normal University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 2073-2073 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | BMC Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1471-2458 • E-ISSN: 1471-2458 |
| Publisher | BioMed Central (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1186/s12889-025-23287-x |
| PMID | 40468260 |
| OpenAlex | W4411041855 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 47 |
Prior studies of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) have validated its first-order three-factor structure (e.g., depression, anxiety, and stress) in Chinese students and/or adult populations. This study aimed to further examine alternative factor models (e.g., higher-order structure model, bifactor model), and measurement invariance (e.g., across genders, and across grade levels) of the DASS-21 among Chinese adolescents. Two samples were collected by the convenience sampling. More specifically, the Sample 1 (n1 = 472, 50.2% boy, Mage=14.91) was collected from three middle schools in Guizhou and Sichuan Province; the Sample 2 (n2 = 564, 44.5% boy, Mage=13.62) was collected from three middle schools in Guizhou Province. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), and other criterion measures (e.g., MMHI-A, MMHI-AS, GAD-7, PHO-9, and WHO-5) were completed by the adolescents. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), multi-group CFA, internal consistency, and zero-order correlation were used to evaluate the results. The CFA supported a three-factor bifactor structure model for the DASS-21, and multi-group CFAs further demonstrated the bifactor model of DASS-21 scores exhibited scalar invariance across gender (boys and girls) and grade levels (junior high and high school students). Additionally, the DASS-21 scores displayed satisfactory internal consistency, as indicated by alpha and omega coefficients. Finally, the criterion validity was established based on the expected relationships between the DASS-21 scores and external variables (depression, anxiety, academic stress, and well-being). The DASS-21 is an effective tool designed for young people, used to measure common mental health statuses—such as anxiety, depression, and stress—and the general distress factor among Chinese adolescents
Anxiety · Biostatistics · Confirmatory factor analysis · DASS · Depression (economics · Measurement invariance · Pathology · Psychiatry · Public health · Statistics · Structural equation modeling · Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Medicine · Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies · Epidemiology
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Psychometric properties of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (Dass-21) among different Chinese populations
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| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |