ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Quantitative Psychology and Measurement
Cross-sectional Psychometric Validation, Convergent Validity, and Measurement Invariance of the DASS-21 in Mexican University Students
Provisionally accepted
Luis Hernando Silva Castillo1*
Juan Carlos Silas-Casillas1
Sarah Nayibe Cazares1LUIS CARLOS Fonseca Leon1Enrique Hernandez Rosas2- 1Western Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Tlaquepaque, Mexico
- 2Universidad de Guadalajara Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones en Comportamiento, Guadalajara, Mexico
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Objective: To evaluate the factor structure, reliability, and gender invariance of the DASS-21, and to examine convergent/criterion-related evidence with coping and functional impairment. Design: Cross-sectional, single-site psychometric validation in first-year undergraduates at a private Mexican university; multigroup CFA with ordinal/WLSMV; proctored digital administration; convergent/criterion analyses and known-groups tests. Methods: First-year students (N=1,251) completed the DASS-21 and an adapted Proactive Coping Inventory. Models estimated from polychoric correlations (WLSMV) compared a correlated three-factor solution, a second-order model, and a bifactor model; ESEM served as a robustness check. Gender invariance (women/men) followed a configural–metric–scalar (threshold) sequence. Associations with coping, prior diagnosis, and recent functional impairment were tested with multiplicity control. Results: The three-factor model showed acceptable fit (CFI=.99; RMSEA=.07). Hierarchical/bifactor solutions improved representation; bifactor indices (ECV=.81; ωh=.88) supported a predominant general factor. Reliability was good–excellent (ωsubscales≈.85–.88; ωtotal≈.94). Configural, metric, and scalar (threshold) invariance held (ΔCFI≤.01; ΔRMSEA≤.015). Latent means indicated higher Stress and Anxiety in women (small effects), with no difference in Depression. DASS-21 scores correlated negatively with adaptive coping and positively with avoidant coping; higher scores were observed among students reporting prior diagnosis and recent functional impairment. Conclusion: Evidence supports the validity, reliability, and fairness of the DASS-21 for screening general distress and profiling subdomains in Mexican universities; priorities include norms and ROC-based cutoffs in verified clinical samples. Limitations: Single-site, non-probabilistic sample; cross-sectional design; clinical status by self-report; forced-completion digital setting may introduce minor response pressure.
Keywords: Depression anxiety stress scales, Psychometric validation, Reliability, Mexican university students., Coping styles, Bifactor Model
Received: 17 Sep 2025; Accepted: 05 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Silva Castillo, Silas-Casillas, Cazares, Fonseca Leon and Rosas. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Luis Hernando Silva Castillo, luissilva@iteso.mx
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