Factor structure, invariance, sensitivity and specificity of the DASS-13 in the Peruvian population

The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) is a widely used instrument in the health field, although it is still debated whether its factorial structure corresponds to a one-dimensional or three-factor model, which may be relevant in relation to screening of anxiety, depression and stress as unique factors or to the use of a general measure of negative emotions. In this sense, a sample of 1010 Peruvians from various parts of the country was studied, an exploratory analysis of psychological networks was applied and a confirmatory and semi-confirmatory factor analysis of a brief bifactorial model of the DASS-21 was performed, which was complemented with the ROC curves. Among the most relevant findings is the equivalence of the short version DASS-13 with the DASS-21. Likewise, both the confirmatory and semi-confirmatory bifactorial model support its use as a unidimensional measure, although it shares variance with specific factors. In addition, evidence of the invariance of the DASS-13 was provided according to the gender of the participants, in the same way a specificity and sensitivity of 78.45 % and 52.25 % was found that suggest that the DASS-13 is a more useful tool to discard than for detection. It concludes by supporting the use of the DASS-13 as an essentially one-dimensional measure of negative affect.