Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales – DASS-21

Scale Overview

The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales – DASS-21 was developed by Lovibond, S.H. & Lovibond, P.F. (1995). It is designed to measure Depression, Anxiety, Stress. The scale is intended for use with Adults and adolescents.

Scale Structure

This instrument consists of 21 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Depression, Anxiety, Stress.

Response Format

Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.

Response anchors: 0 = Did not apply to me at all, 1 = Applied to me to some degree, or for some of the time, 2 = Applied to me to a considerable degree, or for a good part of time, 3 = Applied to me very much, or most of the time.

Scoring

Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.

Total scores range from 0 to 63. Interpretation guidelines:

• Normal (Total Raw Score): 0 – 9
• Mild (Total Raw Score): 10 – 18
• Moderate (Total Raw Score): 19 – 29
• Severe (Total Raw Score): 30 – 45
• Extremely Severe (Total Raw Score): 46 – 63

Psychometric Properties

Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Depression alpha = 0.94; Anxiety alpha = 0.87; Stress alpha = 0.91.

Administration

The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.