Dimensionality, reliability, invariance, and item analysis of the depression, anxiety, and stress scale-21 (DASS-21) in Honduran and Colombian university students.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) is a widely used instrument for assessing psychological distress in diverse populations worldwide. Nonetheless, in the Honduran and Colombian contexts there is a paucity of studies evaluating the scale's factorial structure, examining item-level parameters, and investigating measurement invariance at both the dimension and item levels. The present study analyzes the psychometric properties-structural validity, reliability, measurement invariance, item-level characteristics, and differential item functioning-of the DASS-21 among university students in Honduras and Colombia.

Methods

A cross-sectional design was employed, involving 2,271 university students (1,112 from Honduras and 1,159 from Colombia). The

SUBMITTER: Castillo-Diaz MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12751876 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature