Background:
The self-reported 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) measure and differentiate negative affective states, which is especially meaningful in the acute psychiatric treatment setting. This study aimed to test the validity of DASS-21 as a routine clinical outcome measure in the private psychiatric in-patient setting.
Methods:
The sample consisted of all admissions to a private psychiatric hospital from January 2004 to December 2005. Scores of four routine measures administered at admission and discharge were retrospectively collected. These measures were the clinician-rated Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) and Health of the Nation Outcome Scales in its adult or older persons format (HoNOS or HoNOS65+), and the self-reported Mental Health Questionnaire (MHQ-14) and DASS-21. The four measures were compared using correlation statistics, and differences in measure scores from admission to discharge were analyzed by t test.
Results:
Of 786 total admissions, there were 337, 328 and 347 fully completed (ie paired admission and discharge) data sets for the DASS-21 depression, anxiety and stress subscales, respectively. All subscales showed significant reductions in mean scores, in the order of 50%, at discharge compared with baseline (P < 0.001). All subscales were correlated with the MHQ-14 subscales (P < 0.0001). They also related to partially collapsed CGI categories (P = 0.006), except for the baseline stress subscale. The total DASS-21 correlated with the total HoNOS scores (r = 0.31, P < 0.0001).
Conclusion:
The results support the validity of DASS-21 as a routine clinical outcome measure in the private in-patient setting.
