Abstract
ObjectivesTo assess the internal consistency, latent structure and convergent validity of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) among adolescents in Vietnam.MethodAn anonymous, self-completed questionnaire was conducted among 1,745 high school students in Hanoi, Vietnam between October, 2013 and January, 2014. Confirmatory factor analyses were performed to assess the latent structure of the DASS-21. Factorial invariance between girls and boys was examined. Cronbach alphas and correlation coefficients between DASS-21 factor scores and the domain scores of the Duke Health Profile Adolescent Vietnamese validated version (ADHP-V) were calculated to assess DASS-21 internal consistency and convergent validity.ResultsA total of 1,606/ 1,745 (92.6%) students returned the questionnaire. Of those, 1,387 students provided complete DASS-21 data. The scale demonstrated adequate internal consistency (Cronbach α: 0.761 to 0.906). A four-factor model showed the best fit to the data. Items loaded significantly on a common general distress factor, the depression, and the anxiety factors, but few on the stress factor (p<0.05). DASS-21 convergent validity was confirmed with moderate correlation coefficients (-0.47 to -0.66) between its factor scores and the ADHP-V mental health related domains.ConclusionsThe DASS-21 is reliable and suitable for use to assess symptoms of common mental health problems, especially depression and anxiety among Vietnamese adolescents. However, its ability in detecting stress among these adolescents may be limited. Further research is warrant to explore these results.
Highlights
It is reported that mental disorders, including depression, are among the top 20 leading causes of disability worldwide [1]
DASS-21 convergent validity was confirmed with moderate correlation coefficients (-0.47 to -0.66) between its factor scores and the ADHP-V mental health related domains
Psychometrics characteristics of the DASS-21 among Vietnamese adolescents managed by Perpetual Trustees
Summary
It is reported that mental disorders, including depression, are among the top 20 leading causes of disability worldwide [1]. About 400 million people are affected by depression [2] and around 10–20% of the world’s children and adolescents suffer from mental disorders [3]. These disorders may result in impaired capacity to study and work and even suicide among the sufferers if untreated [2]. Detection of these conditions is of great importance. It has been shown to be reliable and valid with a three-factor structure [7,8]. The DASS-21 has been shown to have strong concurrent validity with other measures of depression, anxiety and stress including the Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Trait [14]
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