Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the depression anxiety stress scale for youth (DASS-Y) in psychiatric and non-psychiatric samples

The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS)-21 is commonly used among adults to assess negative emotional states; however, the DASS-Y (the youth version) is a new scale specifically designed for children and adolescents, and its Turkish validation has not yet been conducted. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the DASS-Y scale in children and adolescents. We recruited N = 312 participants aged 8–17 years (n = 166 from psychiatric samples; n = 146 from non-psychiatric samples). We performed a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) on the proposed initial three-factor model of the DASS-Y. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to evaluate internal consistency. Participants completed self-report batteries (Children’s Depression Inventory, the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Child Version, and the Perceived Stress Scale) to assess convergent validity. The DASS-Y scores between psychiatric and non-psychiatric samples were compared to assess discriminant validity. The results indicated that the CFA demonstrated a good model fit in both psychiatric and non-psychiatric samples. The scale’s internal consistency was satisfactory, with all Cronbach’s alpha coefficients greater than 0.80. DASS-Y subscale scores were positively correlated with scores from self-report scales, supporting strong convergent validity. The psychiatric sample had significantly higher DASS-Y scores than non-psychiatric samples, demonstrating satisfactory discriminant validity. The Turkish version of the DASS-Y is a brief, reliable tool for assessing various negative emotional states of Turkish children and adolescents in clinical settings. Our findings support the DASS-Y’s original conceptual framework, highlighting its utility as a standard tool for research and clinical practice among Turkish youth.