Using the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales-21 With US Adolescents: An Alternate Models Analysis

As part of universal screening efforts in schools, validated measures that identify internalizing distress are needed. One promising available measure, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), has yet to be thoroughly investigated with adolescents in the United States. This study investigated the underlying factor structure of the DASS-21 in a sample of U.S. adolescents (N = 2,454) by using confirmatory factor analytic techniques to test several alternate models. A bifactor model specifying general Negative Affectivity and three specific factors of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress yielded the best fit. Results from this study suggest that (a) the DASS-21 scales reflect a common factor, indicating that a total score of the DASS-21 can be derived as a measure of general negative affectivity, and (b) the DASS-21 may not adequately differentiate between the experiences of negative affectivity, anxiety, and stress in U.S. adolescents.