Longitudinal invariance and information of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales
1Department of Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
Objectives:
The study investigates the psychometric properties of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21).
Method:
The DASS-21 was administered to a community sample twice over the course of 7 months ( = 235 and = 171; 51% female, Mage = 22 years). A partial credit Rasch model was used to determine the scales' longitudinal invariance and reliability.
Results:
The DASS-21 mostly demonstrated longitudinal invariance across administrations. The Depression and Anxiety subscales were sufficiently reliable to distinguish among the suggested severity categories, but the Stress scale was not.
Conclusion:
Several revisions of the DASS are recommended. It is also suggested that the Stress scale should be used with caution, given its low reliability.
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