Structural Validity of Dass-21 in Colombia: Evidence From Afro-Descendant and Indigenous Populations

The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) is widely used to assess emotional symptoms; however, its factorial structure remains debated across populations and cultural contexts, particularly among historically underrepresented groups. This study aimed to examine the structural validity and internal consistency of the DASS-21 in Afro-descendant and Indigenous adults in Colombia. A psychometric instrumental study was conducted with 1,147 adults aged 18–65 years from three municipalities in Nariño, Colombia. Horn’s parallel analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to examine the dimensional structure and compare alternative factorial models. Internal consistency was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients. The dimensions showed strong intercorrelations (r = .793–.804), and parallel analysis identified a dominant first factor. Reliability was adequate for depression (α/ω = .79), anxiety (.81), and stress (.77), while the total scale showed high reliability (α/ω = .92). All models demonstrated adequate fit, with the bifactor and second-order models showing the best relative fit. The findings support the structural validity and reliability of the DASS-21 and indicate that depression, anxiety, and stress are distinguishable but strongly related dimensions that share a substantial general component of emotional distress, contributing evidence for culturally inclusive psychological assessment in Colombia.