Psychology, 2018, 9, 1095-1127
http://www.scirp.org/journal/psych
ISSN Online: 2152-7199
ISSN Print: 2152-7180
DOI: 10.4236/psych.2018.95069 May 30, 2018 1095 Psychology
Can the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales Short
Be Shorter? Factor Structure and Measurement
Invariance of DASS-21 and DASS-9 in a Greek,
Non-Clinical Sample
Theodoros A. Kyriazos, Anastassios Stalikas, Konstantina Prassa, Vasiliki Yotsidi
Department of Psychology, Panteion University, Athens, Greece
Abstract
This study focused on the factor structure, invariance, reliability, and validity
of two DASS versions: DASS-21 and DASS-9. Dimensionality was examined
with Exploratory and Confirmatory factor analysis in 2271 Greek adults of the
non-clinical population. Sample was split in three parts and the “3-faced con-
struct validation method” was adopted. An EFA and a Bifactor EFA model
were tested in the 20% subsample for both DASS-21 and DASS-9. Then, in the
40% subsample eleven CFA models were tested for DASS-21 and six for
DASS-9 (using ICM-CFA, Bifactor CFA and ESEM). Optimal DASS-21 and
DASS-9 models were successfully validated in the remaining 40% subsample
(i.e. in a subsample of equal power). DASS-21 and DASS-9 showed strict
measurement invariance across gender. Reliability (α and ω) and AVE con-
vergent validity were adequate for both versions. Correlation analysis based
on 10 different measures revealed a predominant uniform pattern of relations,
similar for both versions. Considering all findings, the Greek versions of
DASS-21 and DASS-9 are invariant, reliable and show construct and conver-
gent validity.
Keywords
DASS-21, DASS-9 Factor Structure, 3-Faced Construct Validation Method,
ESEM, ICM-CFA, Bifactor EFA, Bifactor CFA, Measurement Invariance,
Greece, Normative Data
1. Introduction
Depression is the most common psychological disorder across the globe (WHO,
How to cite this paper: Kyriazos, T. A.,
Stalikas, A., Prassa, K., & Yotsidi, V. (2018).
Can the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales
Short Be Shorter? Factor Structure and
Measurement Invariance of DASS-21 and
DASS-9 in a Greek, Non-Clinical Sample.
Psychology, 9, 1095-1127.
https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2018.95069
Received: April 1, 2018
Accepted: May 25, 2018
Published: May 30, 2018
Copyright © 2018 by authors and
Scientific Research Publishing Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative
Commons Attribution International
License (CC BY 4.0).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Open Access