Le Duy T H, Chan Raymond C K, Hao Jichun, Wilkinson Ross B
School of Science, Engineering & Technology, RMIT University Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Int J Psychol. 2025 Aug;60(4):e70057. doi: 10.1002/ijop.70057.
The DASS-21 has been widely used in university student mental health research. However, studies on its cross-cultural reliability and validity, particularly among Eastern student populations, remain limited. This study examined the DASS-21's psychometric properties and measurement invariance across Australian, Chinese and Vietnamese students. Data were drawn from multiple surveys conducted between 2017 and 2021, comprising 2420 university students from Australia (n = 1093), China (n = 626) and Vietnam (n = 701). Single-group confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) supported the three-factor model of the DASS-21 with acceptable fit for each cultural group, requiring minor modifications for Chinese and Vietnamese data. Multiple-group CFAs resulted in an 18-item version (DASS-18) that achieved cross-group measurement invariance and acceptable internal consistency. Non-parametric tests revealed the lowest scores for all the DASS-18 results among Australian students, while Chinese students reported the highest level of anxiety and Vietnamese students reported the highest level of depression. The two Asian samples exhibited similar levels of stress and overall distress. In general, this study supports the measurement invariance of the DASS, with caution regarding culturally sensitive items. Implications for the DASS-21's universality and recommendations for future research and multicultural psychological assessment are discussed.
抑郁、焦虑和压力量表-21（DASS-21）已广泛应用于大学生心理健康研究。然而，关于其跨文化信度和效度的研究，尤其是在东方学生群体中的研究仍然有限。本研究考察了DASS-21在澳大利亚、中国和越南学生中的心理测量特性和测量不变性。数据来自2017年至2021年期间进行的多项调查，包括来自澳大利亚（n = 1093）、中国（n = 626）和越南（n = 701）的2420名大学生。单组验证性因素分析（CFA）支持DASS-21的三因素模型，每个文化群体的拟合度均可接受，中国和越南的数据只需进行 minor 修改。多组CFA得出了一个18项版本（DASS-18），该版本实现了跨组测量不变性和可接受的内部一致性。非参数检验显示，澳大利亚学生的所有DASS-18结果得分最低，而中国学生报告的焦虑水平最高，越南学生报告的抑郁水平最高。两个亚洲样本的压力和总体困扰水平相似。总体而言，本研究支持DASS的测量不变性，但对文化敏感项目需谨慎。讨论了DASS-21的普遍性的影响以及对未来研究和多元文化心理评估的建议。
