A recent study has examined the effectiveness of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) in identifying mental health issues among incarcerated men. The DASS-21 is commonly used to screen for psychological distress in adults and has shown strong validity when compared to established diagnostic tools. It is often favored over more comprehensive assessments such as the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) due to its practicality for rapid screening.
Until now, research had not focused on how well the DASS-21 works within prison populations. This new study analyzed responses from 1,325 individuals held in six Spanish prisons. The results from confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a bifactor structure best fits this group, consisting of a general psychological distress factor along with specific factors for depression, anxiety, and stress.
The findings suggest that while there is a dominant general distress component measured by the DASS-21, some specificity remains for each subscale—depression, anxiety, and stress. “These findings support the DASS-21 as a valid and robust measure of psychological distress in prison populations, highlighting its utility for mental health screening in correctional settings,” according to the authors.
The full study is available in Criminal Justice and Behavior: https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548251362792
