Cross cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the Indonesian version of the depression anxiety stress scales for youth (IDASS-Y)

Abstract

Depression and anxiety represent significant global health concerns, with a particularly high prevalence observed in economically disadvantaged developing countries. The availability of reliable and culturally relevant assessment instruments is crucial for the effective diagnosis and intervention of mental health issues, particularly among adolescents. The objective of this study was to adapt the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales for Youth (DASS-Y) into an Indonesian version (IDASS-Y) and to evaluate its psychometric properties among Indonesian adolescents. A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in West Sumatra Province and Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia. The study entailed a cross-cultural adaptation of the DASS-Y into the IDASS-Y through a five-step process and a psychometric evaluation. The study sample consisted of 255 adolescents between the ages of 16 and 18, recruited from two public senior high schools. The psychometric assessment comprised content validity testing, construct validity testing through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and reliability testing. The IDASS-Y has demonstrated robust psychometric properties. The content validity was found to be high, with an overall S-CVI/Ave of 0.95. The EFA demonstrated a consistent three-factor structure corresponding to depression, anxiety, and stress, with no alterations to the item dimensions. The CFA results yielded a good model fit, as indicated by the following values: χ²/df ratio = 2.553; RMSEA = 0.022; CFI = 1.000; SRMR = 0.083. The internal consistency of the scale was satisfactory, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.897 for depression, 0.893 for anxiety, and 0.884 for stress, and an overall alpha of 0.948. Additionally, McDonald's omega coefficients were notably high, at 0.897 for depression, 0.894 for anxiety, and 0.874 for stress, with an overall omega of 0.949. The Indonesian version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales for Youth (IDASS-Y) is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing depression, anxiety, and stress among Indonesian adolescents. It retains the original conceptual framework of the DASS-Y and demonstrates strong psychometric properties, making it suitable for both research and clinical use.

Keywords: Adolescents; Anxiety; Depression; Indonesia; Psychometric properties; Stress.

Fig. 1

STROBE flow diagram of the observational study.

Fig. 2

Confirmatory factor analysis graphical presentation.