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The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21: Spanish Translation and Validation with a Hispanic Sample

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Abstract

The English-language version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) was professionally translated into Spanish and field-tested among 98 bilingual Hispanic adults. Participants who were diagnosed with an anxiety disorder on the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule-IV completed the DASS-21, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Results indicated strong indices of internal consistency and expected patterns of discriminant, convergent, and structural validity. A confirmatory factor analysis compared a model fit of a first order 1-factor model, a first order 3-factor model, and a second order factor model. The latter 2 models were significantly better than the 1-factor model. Psychometric data were comparable to those of an English version. Clinicians and researchers in need of a brief, Spanish-language, screening measure of general psychopathology may want to consider this newly translated DASS-21.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Houston, Calhoun, Houston, Texas

    Patricia Daza

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, University of Texas – Houston Medical Center, Fannin, Houston, Texas

    Diane M. Novy

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas – Houston Health Sciences Center, Moursund, Houston, Texas

    Diane M. Novy, Melinda A. Stanley & Patricia Averill

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  1. Patricia Daza
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  2. Diane M. Novy
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Correspondence to Patricia Daza.

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Daza, P., Novy, D.M., Stanley, M.A. et al. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21: Spanish Translation and Validation with a Hispanic Sample. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment 24, 195–205 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016014818163

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