Evaluating the psychometric properties of the Chinese Depression Anxiety Stress Scale for Youth (DASS-Y) and DASS-21

Cui-Hong Cao; Xiao-Ling Liao; Jeffrey H Gamble; Ling-Ling Li; Xing-Yong Jiang; Xu-Dong Li; Mark D Griffiths; I-Hua Chen; Chung-Ying Lin

doi:10.1186/s13034-023-00655-2

Evaluating the psychometric properties of the Chinese Depression Anxiety Stress Scale for Youth (DASS-Y) and DASS-21

Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2023 Sep 7;17(1):106. doi: 10.1186/s13034-023-00655-2.

Authors

Cui-Hong Cao^{1

2}, Xiao-Ling Liao³, Jeffrey H Gamble⁴, Ling-Ling Li⁵, Xing-Yong Jiang⁶, Xu-Dong Li⁷, Mark D Griffiths⁸, I-Hua Chen⁹, Chung-Ying Lin^{10

11

12

13}

Affiliations

¹ School of Foreign Languages, Shandong Women's University, Jinan, 250300, China.
² Faculty of Education, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, 273165, China.
³ Faculty of Education, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330031, China.
⁴ Department of English, National Changhua University, Changhua, 50007, Taiwan.
⁵ Xinjian District of Nanchang City, No.1 Senior High School, Nanchang, 330100, China.
⁶ Yangan Primary School of Qionglai City, Qionglai, 611535, China.
⁷ Gaogeng Nine-year School, Qionglai, 611533, China.
⁸ International Gaming Research Unit, Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.
⁹ Chinese Academy of Education Big Data, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, 273165, China. aholechen@gmail.com.
¹⁰ Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701401, Taiwan. cylin36933@gmail.com.
¹¹ Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701401, Taiwan. cylin36933@gmail.com.
¹² Biostatistics Consulting Center, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701401, Taiwan. cylin36933@gmail.com.
¹³ Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701401, Taiwan. cylin36933@gmail.com.

Abstract

Background: In recognizing the need for a reliable and valid instrument to assess psychological distress among children and adolescents, the present study translated the newly developed Depression Anxiety Stress Scale for Youth (DASS-Y) into Chinese, while also comparing its psychometric properties with those of the well-established DASS-21 within a primary and middle school demographic.

Methods: Utilizing a combination of convenience sampling and purposive sampling, a cohort comprising 1,507 primary and 1,131 middle school students was recruited. Rasch analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used in the data analysis.

Results: Significant differences were observed between the DASS-Y and the DASS-21, notably within the anxiety subscale. The proportions of individuals with clinical mood disorders identified by the two scales demonstrated a significant disparity. Both scales, following an adjustment of responses, exhibited satisfactory internal consistency and convergent validity, with the acceptance of a three-factor structure. Furthermore, the DASS-Y showed superior discriminant validity relative to the DASS-21, providing more compelling evidence regarding concurrent validity.

Conclusion: Overall, the Chinese version of the DASS-Y demonstrated superior robustness to the DASS-21 in terms of psychometric properties. The findings provide initial evidence for the psychometric properties of the DASS-Y from another culture.

Keywords: Adolescents; Children; DASS-21; DASS-Y; Psychometric properties.

Grants and funding

22CJYJ16/Shandong Province Social Science Foundation Project