Translation and Cultural Adaptation of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS) into Urdu

Sadia Abid; Laiba Qayyum; Aiman Batool; Mahwish Ali Khan; Mirrat Gul But; Prabhleen Kaur

Sadia Abid University of Greenwich
Laiba Qayyum Riphah International University
Aiman Batool Punjab University
Mahwish Ali Khan University of Nottingham
Mirrat Gul But Pakistan Association of Cognitive Therapy
Prabhleen Kaur York University

Keywords: Dysfunctional Attitude Scale, Depression, Anxiety, Psychometric validation, Urdu translation, Cultural adaptation, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Dysfunctional attitudes are negative, unhelpful beliefs that play a central role in emotional distress and are a core component of Beck’s cognitive theory of depression. The 35-item Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS-35), developed by Mathers Clinic, has been used in research and applied settings to assess dysfunctional attitudes; however, evidence supporting its psychometric performance in clinical populations remains limited.

Objectives: To translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Urdu version of the DAS-35 in a Pakistani sample.

Method: Ethical approval was obtained from the institutional review board of the University of Malakand (Ref: UOM/PSY/191; 03-02-2026). A multi-method cross-sectional design was used across three phases. First, the DAS-35 was translated into Urdu following MAPI guidelines for linguistic validation. Second, the translated version was pre-tested with 100 bilingual university students. Third, the final Urdu version was administered to 600 participants (300 individuals with elevated depressive symptoms and 300 from the general population) aged 15–65 years. The Urdu version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to assess convergent validity and classify participants based on depressive symptom severity. Internal consistency, discriminative validity, convergent validity, gender differences, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted using SPSS 27 and R (lavaan package).

Results: Internal consistency ranged from α = .47 to .68, with lower values for the Approval and Achievement subscales. Participants endorsed dysfunctional attitudes across all seven domains, with Entitlement and Approval showing the highest means. Three subscales (Approval, Love, and Perfectionism) and nine items significantly differentiated between the elevated symptom and general population groups. Significant negative correlations were observed between DAS-35 subscales and HADS scores, supporting convergent validity. No gender differences emerged at the subscale level, although four items showed significant differences. CFA of the seven-factor model indicated poor fit (χ²(539)=2931.27, p<.001; CFI=.57; TLI=.53; RMSEA=.086; SRMR=.085). Four items had factor loadings below .30, particularly in Approval and Achievement domains.

Conclusion: The Urdu DAS-35 demonstrated preliminary reliability and evidence of convergent and discriminative validity. However, support for the original seven-factor structure was limited. Cultural factors may influence the expression and organization of dysfunctional attitudes, suggesting the need for item revision or alternative factor structures.