Abstract
BACKGROUND: Inconsistent findings regarding the factor structure of the Depression Anxiety and Depression Scale (DASS-21) have been reported in the literature. The present study attempted to validate the factor structure and internal consistency of DASS-21 during COVID-19 pandemic with two different samples: the frontline workers and non-frontline workers. A critical time period and nature of work were two key factors during pandemic that made it important to test the factor structure of the scale. METHOD: Using an online survey with snowball sampling, DASS-21 was administered on 265 frontline workers (associated with hospital, police, and security) and 835 non-frontline workers in India across 5 states. RESULT: Several models were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis. Among them, a three-factor model comprising Physiological arousal, Anhedonia, and General Negative Affect demonstrated the best fit, differing from the originally proposed structure. Additionally, the DASS-21 subscales exhibited a very high intercorrelations (r = .94–.96). This pattern may suggest that the subscales assess highly overlapping dimensions of psychological distress in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. An alternative explanation is that the pandemic elicited a pervasive and heightened distress response, resulting in a convergence of symptom expression across domains. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of the present study, it may be concluded that the DASS-21 is a reliable measure of negative psychological affect; however, the originally conceptualized factor structure could not be replicated, indicating the need for theoretical refinement and further exploration of the construct’s dimensionality.