Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale DASS-21 – Chinese Version

Description

The internal structure of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) is based on the tripartite model proposed by Clark and Watson. This model suggests that depression and anxiety have unique symptoms while also sharing common characteristics. Typical symptoms of depression include anhedonia and negative affect, while anxiety is characterized by physiological hyperarousal. General distress is a shared feature of both conditions. The developers of DASS adopted the tripartite model with caution, defining the scale as having a three-dimensional structure, where depression, anxiety, and stress are interconnected yet independent, with an emphasis on differentiating the symptoms. After decades of empirical testing, the three-dimensional structure of DASS has gained broad recognition, along with some modifications and enhancements.

Authors and Contact Email

Information not available.

Purpose

The purpose of DASS is to assess the severity of depression, anxiety, and stress in individuals, enabling clinicians and researchers to distinguish between these emotional states.

Test Year

The DASS was initially developed by Lovibond et al. in 1995. The current study uses the simplified Chinese version of DASS-21 revised by Xi et al. in 2010.

Administration Method and Scoring

The DASS-21 consists of 21 items, with each subscale containing 7 items for depression, anxiety, and stress. Respondents are asked to read each statement and indicate how much they have experienced each symptom in the past week, using a 4-point Likert scale: 0 (不符合 / Not Applicable), 1 (有时符合 / Sometimes), 2 (常常符合 / Often), 3 (总是符合 / Always). Scores for each subscale are obtained by multiplying the sum of responses by 2. Higher scores indicate greater severity of the respective condition.

Reliability and Validity

Analysis of 543 valid survey responses showed that the overall Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the scale was 0.891, and the KMO value was 0.925. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the subscales of depression, anxiety, and stress were 0.774, 0.743, and 0.752, respectively, indicating good reliability and validity.

Factors and Subscales

The DASS-21 contains three subscales:
– 抑郁 (Depression)
– 焦虑 (Anxiety)
– 压力 (Stress)

Each subscale assesses specific symptoms related to its respective emotional state.

Keywords

DASS, Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Psychometric Validation, Chinese Version, Mental Health Assessment

Items in Chinese

请您根据自己近一周内的情况在相应选项下打“√”。您的选择没有对错之分。请不要在某个句子上花太多时间。
0 不符合
1 有点符合
2 很符合或经常符合
3 最符合或总是符合

1. 我发现很难让自己安静下来休息
2. 我感到嘴巴很干
3. 我似乎完全不能积极乐观起来
4. 我感到过呼吸困难（例如：在没有体力透支的情况下而感到呼吸急促。喘不过气来）
5. 我发现很难发挥主动性去做事情
6. 我对所处的环境（情况）容易反应过度
7. 我曾感到发抖（例如：手打哆嗦）
8. 我感到时常神经紧张
9. 我担心自己可能因为惊慌而干蠢事出洋相
10. 我感到我对未来没什么可期待的
11. 我发现自己变得焦虑不安
12. 我发现很难放松下来
13. 我感到消沉和沮丧
14. 我曾对阻碍我手头上工作的事情感到无法容忍
15. 我感到自己曾接近恐慌
16. 我对任何事情都没法充满热情
17. 我感到自己曾不怎么配做人
18. 我感到我曾极容易因为小事而生气
19. 在没有体力透支的情况下我也能感觉到自己的心跳或心率不正常（例如：感到心跳过快或心率不齐）
20. 我无缘无故地感到害怕
21. 我感到生命毫无意义

Items in English

Please mark “√” under the appropriate option based on your experiences in the past week. There are no right or wrong answers. Do not spend too much time on any one statement.
0 Not Applicable
1 Sometimes
2 Often
3 Always

1. I find it hard to relax.
2. I feel so dry in the mouth.
3. I seem to be unable to feel positive and optimistic at all.
4. I feel breathless (e.g., feeling short of breath without physical exertion).
5. I have difficulty in initiating activities.
6. I tend to react excessively to my environment (situations).
7. I have felt shaky (e.g., hands trembling).
8. I feel nervous most of the time.
9. I worry that I may do something stupid or embarrassing because of panic.
10. I feel that I have nothing to look forward to.
11. I find myself becoming anxious.
12. I find it hard to relax.
13. I feel down and depressed.
14. I have felt intolerant of interruptions to what I was doing.
15. I feel that I have been close to panic.
16. I find it hard to be enthusiastic about anything.
17. I feel that I don’t deserve to exist.
18. I feel that I often get angry over little things.
19. I feel my heart racing or beating irregularly even without physical exertion (e.g., feeling a rapid heartbeat).
20. I feel scared for no reason.
21. I feel that life is meaningless.

References

陈盈. 接纳承诺疗法对高中生心理健康水平的影响研究[D].南昌大学,2018.
龚栩, 谢熹瑶, 徐蕊,等. 抑郁-焦虑-压力量表简体中文版(DASS-21)在中国大学生中的测试报告[J]. 中国临床心理学杂志, 2010, 18(004):443-446.
李萌. “3+2”高职护生情绪行为问题的潜在类别及其风险因素的累积效应[D].山东大学,2019.