Adaptation and Validation of the 8-Item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-8) in Peruvian School Adolescents

Background: Depression, anxiety, and stress are common disorders among school adolescents, affecting their emotional well-being and academic performance. In Peru, there is a lack of brief, validated instruments to detect these symptoms in educational settings, which limits timely intervention. Objective: To adapt and validate the Spanish version of the 8-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-8) in Peruvian school adolescents. Methods: A total of 801 Peruvian adolescents between 11 and 18 years of age (M = 14.04; SD = 1.54) participated. An instrumental design was used, including translation and cultural adaptation of the DASS-8. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability estimates (α and ω), and factorial invariance testing by sex, stage of adolescence, type of institution, and place of residence were conducted. Results: The model showed excellent fit (χ2 = chi-square)(17) = 48.000, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.99, Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.98, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.05, and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) = 0.01. The subscales demonstrated high reliability: Depression (α = 0.90; ω = 0.90), Anxiety (α = 0.90; ω = 0.90), and Stress (α = 0.87; ω = 0.87), with an overall α of 0.95. Strict invariance was supported by gender and type of institution, and scalar invariance was supported across stages of adolescence and place of residence. Conclusions: The Spanish DASS-8 is a valid, reliable, and useful tool for screening emotional symptoms in Peruvian school adolescents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the psychometric properties of the DASS-8 in Latin American school adolescents.