• DOI:10.1348/014466505X29657
• Corpus ID: 29380111

The short-form version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21): construct validity and normative data in a large non-clinical sample.

@article{Henry2005TheSV,
  title={The short-form version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21): construct validity and normative data in a large non-clinical sample.},
  author={Julie D. Henry and John R. Crawford},
  journal={The British journal of clinical psychology},
  year={2005},
  volume={44 Pt 2},
  pages={
          227-39
        }
}

• J. Henry, J. Crawford
• Published 1 June 2005
• Psychology
• The British journal of clinical psychology

OBJECTIVES
To test the construct validity of the short-form version of the Depression anxiety and stress scale (DASS-21), and in particular, to assess whether stress as indexed by this measure is synonymous with negative affectivity (NA) or whether it represents a related, but distinct, construct. To provide normative data for the general adult population.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional, correlational and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

METHODS
The DASS-21 was administered to a non-clinical sample, broadly representative of the general adult UK population (N = 1,794). Competing models of the latent structure of the DASS-21 were evaluated using CFA.

RESULTS
The model with optimal fit (RCFI = 0.94) had a quadripartite structure, and consisted of a general factor of psychological distress plus orthogonal specific factors of depression, anxiety, and stress. This model was a significantly better fit than a competing model that tested the possibility that the Stress scale simply measures NA.

CONCLUSIONS
The DASS-21 subscales can validly be used to measure the dimensions of depression, anxiety, and stress. However, each of these subscales also taps a more general dimension of psychological distress or NA. The utility of the measure is enhanced by the provision of normative data based on a large sample.