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This study explored several, latent factor models of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) using both a sample of clinically depressed patients and a Facebook sample from Serbia. The DASS-21, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait were administered to a sample of depressed individuals (N = 296; Mage = 52.21, SDage = 11.56). A Facebook sample (N = 376; Mage =29.12, SD = 8.96) completed the DASS-21 only. A bifactor model with one general distress (G) and two specific factors (Depression and Anxiety) were supported. The three factors had high omega coefficients, whereas omega hierarchical for Depression and Anxiety were low. Based on all evidence from our study, external validation, factor determinacy, and replicability, we concluded that the Serbian version of the DASS-21 assesses reliably general distress and anhedonia in both people with the clinical level of severity of distress and in general population. The Anxiety subscale can be safely used in clinical settings when one wishes to assess individuals presenting with a mixture of distress and anxious arousal. However, until further validation support is provided, we do not recommend use of this scale when the task is to estimate precisely anxious arousal only. The Stress subscale assesses general distress only. Low omega hierarchical coefficients of the Depression and Anxiety subscales could be addressed by re-selecting their items from the initial item pool, based on which the DASS-21 was created, using those with substantial loadings on both the G and their respective group factors.

Osnovni cilj ovog rada je provera validnosti i psihometrijskih karakteristika Indeksa senzitivnosti na simptome anksioznosti (ASI-3), na srpskom uzorku ispitanika iz opšte populacije. Uzorak je činilo 553 ispitanika starosti 18 do 60 godina, pri čemu je bilo više ispitanika ženskog pola (82.1%). Rezultati konfirmativne faktorske analize (CFA) ukazuju da bifaktorski model, sa jednim generalnim faktorom opšte senzitivnosti na simptome anksioznosti i tri specifična faktora -zabrinutost za fizičko funkcionisanje, zabrinutost za kognitivno funkcionisanje i zabrinutost u socijalnim situacijama, ima najbolji fit. Rezultati analiza baziranih na teoriji odgovora na stavke (IRT: 2PL model) ukazuju na to da je ASI-3 relativno težak, odnosno da je prilagođen ispitanicima sa prosečnim i natprosečnim nivoom latentne osobine. Na osnovu rezultata baziranih na korelaciono-regresionim analizama donet je zaključak o dobroj konvergentnoj, divergentnoj i inkrementalnoj validnosti upitnika ASI-3. IRT analizama je identifikovana grupa od pet problematičnih stavki (niski parametri informativnosti i diskriminativnosti kao i visoki parametri težine) i razmotrena je njihova potencijalna primena u kliničkoj praksi. Konačno, generalni faktor opšte senzitivnosti na simptome anksioznosti, a u manjoj meri i specifični faktori imaju potencijal u objašnjavanju dodatne varijanse spoljnih kriterijuma povrh koncepta anksioznosti iz domena revidirane teorije osetljivosti na potkrepljenje, što ukazuje na inkrementalnu validnosti upitnika ASI-3. Ponuđene su kliničke i istraživačke implikacije.Ključne reči: senzitivnost na anksioznost, ASI-3, bifaktorski model, konfirmatorna faktorska analiza (CFA), teorija odgovora na stavke (IRT) 2 Rad je nastao u okviru projekta Ministarstva prosvete, nauke i tehnološkog razvoja (179006).

Introduction: Suicide is a substantial public health burden, particularly among veterans. Risk factors have been delineated for suicide; however, the dynamic interrelations between risk factors have not been fully examined. Such research has the potential to elucidate processes that contribute to suicide risk between individuals with a past suicide attempt (attempters) and those without a past suicide attempt (nonattempters). Methods:In the current study, network analysis was used to compare networks between attempters and nonattempters in a high-risk veteran sample (N = 770; M age = 32.3 years, SD = 6.8; 326 with a past suicide attempt) who were followed over 1 year. Networks were estimated to examine (1) concurrent relations of suicide risk factors at baseline and (2) predictability of prospective suicidal behavior (SB).Results: There were no differences in the overall connectivity of attempter and nonattempter networks. Perceived burdensomeness and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were most central in the attempters' network, whereas PTSD symptoms and insomnia were most central in the nonattempters' network. The risk factors prospective SB in either network. However, attempters were more likely to engage in SB over the course of the study. Conclusion:These findings highlight the difficulty in predicting who will attempt suicide.