An evaluation of the convergent validity of and preliminary cutoff scores for the DASS-21 Total score as a measure of distress in adolescents

Evans, Luke; Haeberlein, Kristen; Chang, Alexander; Handal, Paul J.

doi:10.1007/s12144-020-00937-4

Cited by 13 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Hence, the DASS subscales seem to have no added value for identifying separate comorbid internalizing disorders among youths in SUD treatment, and it seems most appropriate to use the DASS total score as broad-spectrum screener for the decision of whether or not subsequent diagnostic evaluation of internalizing disorders is warranted in this population. Such application of the DASS-21 as broad-spectrum screener is in line with emerging evidence for the use of the total score as a valid measure of overall psychological distress in adolescents [16]. Moreover, broad screening seems preferable because internalizing disorders often show considerable overlap among themselves [26].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

“…Concerning youths, both Moore et al [15] and Evans et al [16] investigated the structural validity of the DASS-21 in a community population study among adolescents. Consistent with the findings of Lee et al [12] in adults, they found strong support for the presence of both three specific factors representing the domains of depression, anxiety, and stress in adolescents, and of a general, overarching factor of general distress which seems to be represented by the DASS-21 total score.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Accuracy of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) for Screening on Comorbid Internalizing Disorders among Youth in Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Moska,

Goudriaan,

Blanken

et al. 2023

Eur Addict Res

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Introduction: Major depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are among the most prevalent comorbid mental disorders in youth addiction treatment. Hence, screening for these internalizing disorders should be part of the standard routine at intake in substance use disorder treatment. We investigated the usefulness of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) as a screener for this purpose. Methods: A nationally representative sample of 421 treatment-seeking youths aged 16–22 years with a primary cannabis, alcohol, cocaine, or amphetamine use disorder participated in the study. At intake, we administered the DASS-21 and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI; Sheehan et al., 1998) based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), as “gold standard,” as part of a broader baseline assessment of the Youth in transition study [Moska et al. BMC Psychiatry. 2021;21(1):1–11]. Results: At comparable sensitivity (0.80–0.84), based on the optimal cut-off value, specificity was higher for the DASS-21 total score detecting any DSM-5 internalizing disorder (0.62) than for the DASS subscales specifically detecting depression, anxiety, or PTSD (0.44, 0.49, and 0.51, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses showed an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.80 for the DASS total score to detect any internalizing disorder (“good discrimination”), compared with AUC values of 0.70–0.75 of the DASS depression and anxiety subscales to detect DSM-5 depression, anxiety, and PTSD (“fair discrimination”). The optimal DASS total score cut-off value of ≥44 for detecting any internalizing disorder resulted in 0.81 sensitivity, 0.62 specificity, 0.80 positive predictive value, and 0.64 negative predictive value. Conclusion: Given the high prevalence of comorbid internalizing disorders in youth addiction care, the need to address these comorbid disorders in treatment, and the favorable accuracy of the DASS to detect these disorders, we recommend to implement the DASS-21 as routine screener in youth addiction treatment in the Netherlands.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accuracy of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) for Screening on Comorbid Internalizing Disorders among Youth in Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Moska,

Goudriaan,

Blanken

et al. 2023

Eur Addict Res

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“…Higher scores indicate higher levels of depression (DASS-D), anxiety, (DASS-A), or stress (DASS-S; Moore et al, 2017). All subscale scores can be summed to provide a total score (i.e., DASS-T), or measure of overall distress, ranging from 0 to 63 (Evans et al, 2020). When multiplied by two, the DASS-21 total score ranges from 0 to 126, yielding equivalent scores to the full 42-item DASS.…”

Section: Dass-21mentioning

confidence: 99%

Dependability and Usability of the DASS-21 as a Progress-Monitoring Tool for Youth

Dwight,

Briesch,

Hoffman

et al. 2024

Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment

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Despite widespread evidence-based treatments for addressing internalizing concerns, many youth do not demonstrate reliable or clinically meaningful improvement. Regular progress monitoring, consisting of measurement and feedback, offers the opportunity to improve outcomes in real time. The 21-item Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995) has potential as a progress-monitoring tool for internalizing concerns in youth; however, limited psychometric data are available to support this use. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dependability of data obtained from the DASS-21 when completed by adolescents in a clinical setting. This study also aimed to understand the feasibility and utility of using the DASS-21 as a progress-monitoring tool from youth and clinicians’ perspectives. Generalizability and dependability analyses were conducted to determine the number of ratings needed to obtain a dependable estimate of youth functioning within 1 week. Whereas two daily ratings were needed to dependably estimate total distress, results for the depression, anxiety, and stress subscales indicated that two to five data points would be needed over the course of the week. Finally, results demonstrate the usability of the DASS-21 from both youth and clinician perspectives when used in a progress-monitoring context.

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“…Distress is defined as a construct consisting of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress [44,45]. The literature also points to the relationship between Distress and a sense of meaning, and that the relationship between Distress and a sense of meaning is not unidirectional.…”

Section: Distress and Milmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Protective Role of Curiosity Behaviors in Coping with Existential Vacuum

Gawda,

Korniluk

2024

Behavioral Sciences

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An existential vacuum is experienced as a kind of crisis that one can cope with using his/her strengths. The related literature suggests that the important determinants of coping with existential emptiness include positive emotional and personality resources, and among these—Curiosity Behaviors. The purpose of this study is to describe the role of curiosity as an important factor in relation to emotional resources in individuals experiencing an existential vacuum. A survey was conducted using online tools (n = 484). The hypotheses about the direct and indirect relationships between Curiosity Behaviors and existential vacuum were tested using multiple regression analyses and mediations. The study involved a sample of adult participants representing the general population. The participants completed five questionnaires, the first one focusing on Curiosity Behaviors, such as seeking out novel and challenging experiences and engagement in activities that capture one’s attention (The Curiosity and Exploration Inventory), and the other tools being the Multidimensional Existential Meaning Scale, the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire, the Flourishing Scale, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. The results indicate that Curiosity Behaviors characteristically negatively predict existential vacuum. In addition, other variables, such as Flourishing, seem to be useful in explaining the relationships between these factors. Flourishing along with Curiosity increases a sense of Meaning in Life. Our results present evidence showing the importance of Curiosity Behaviors in coping with the existential vacuum.

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An evaluation of the convergent validity of and preliminary cutoff scores for the DASS-21 Total score as a measure of distress in adolescents

Cited by 13 publications

References 27 publications

Accuracy of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) for Screening on Comorbid Internalizing Disorders among Youth in Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Accuracy of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) for Screening on Comorbid Internalizing Disorders among Youth in Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Dependability and Usability of the DASS-21 as a Progress-Monitoring Tool for Youth

The Protective Role of Curiosity Behaviors in Coping with Existential Vacuum

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