Cross-cultural validation and psychometric properties of the DASS-21 scale in Yorùbá language

The main objective of this study was to translate and validate the DASS-21 for Yorùbá-speaking participants in Nigeria. The DASS-21 was translated into the Yorùbá language, involving independent translations (forward and backward) by multilingual professionals. Four hundred three Nigerian participants voluntarily participated in the study and responded to the set of questionnaires. A confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable fit for both the single-factor and three-factor models, with comparable fit indices across models. The three-factor model demonstrated good internal consistency and showed expected associations, being positively related to generalized anxiety disorder, patient health questionnaire, and negative affect, and negatively related to positive affect and flourishing. The findings show that the DASS-21 Yorùbá is reliable and valid for assessing both the three-factor model and overall psychological distress, and can be effectively used among Yorùbá-speaking populations. It is recommended that researchers working with Yorùbá-speaking Nigerians use this translated version of the scale to enhance understanding of the items in the local language and to obtain more accurate results.