The 12-Item Mini-DASS: A Concise and Efficient Measure of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

The 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) is a common instrument for measuring dimensions of emotional distress. In the present research, we tested across five studies (N = 2,096) whether the number of items could be reduced while maintaining high reliability and validity. Specifically, Item Response Theory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis reduced items to 12, which we named Mini-DASS. Our findings revealed the Mini-DASS is as psychometrically robust as the DASS-21. Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis established its invariance across gender and three countries (Brazil, UK, and USA). The Mini-DASS and the DASS-21 demonstrated similar correlation patterns with other well-being measures and the five moral foundations. Notably, we observed negative correlations between depression, anxiety, stress, and the authority and loyalty foundations. In conclusion, the Mini-DASS is a parsimonious, reliable, and valid instrument for measuring depression, anxiety, and stress.