Assessing Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Older Veterans
Author Information
Author(s): Liu Wen, Zimmerman M Bridget, Hadlandsmyth Katherine, Smith Tracey, Buckwalter Joseph A, Green David M, Dindo Lilian, Rakel Barbara
Primary Institution: University of Iowa
Hypothesis
The study examines the psychometric properties of the Depression Anxiety & Stress Scale (DASS) in older U.S. Veterans experiencing knee pain.
Conclusion
The study supports the use of a 3-factor structure for the DASS in older Veterans, showing strong correlations and acceptable internal consistency.
Supporting Evidence
- The DASS has been translated into multiple languages and is widely used.
- The 3-factor structure showed strong correlations among the factors.
- The internal consistency for Depression was 0.904, for Anxiety 0.767, and for Stress 0.883.
- Item Response Theory analysis showed acceptable item discrimination and difficulty levels.
Takeaway
This study looked at how well a questionnaire works for older Veterans who are feeling sad, anxious, or stressed, and found it works pretty well.
Methodology
The study used Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Item Response Theory to evaluate the DASS in a randomized controlled trial.
Limitations
Further research is needed to investigate the performance of DASS in Veterans with more diversity in gender and socioeconomic status.
Participant Demographics
Participants were older U.S. Veterans, average age 66.7 years, 88% male, 72.2% white, and 61% married.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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