VALIDATION OF THE SPANISH VERSIONS OF THE DISTRESS TOLERANCE SCALE (FULL AND SHORT) IN ARGENTINIAN COLLEGE STUDENTS

Introduction. Distress tolerance is a transdiagnostic factor for a broad range of psychological disorders. The evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) and its brief version for Spanish-speaking South American individuals is limited. Method. We examined the psychometric properties of the full and brief forms of the Spanish version of the DTS in a sample of 514 (70.6% female) Argentinian college students who completed an online survey. We examined evidence of structure validity and measurement invariance by sex. We estimated Cronbach Alpha and McDonald Omega indexes to analyse internal consistency and bivariate correlations to examine evidence of concurrent validity. Results. The hierarchical four-factor model showed the best fit to the data for the full version. The brief form (four items with the highest factor loading within each dimension of the full version) also showed an acceptable fit to the data. Measurement invariance across sex was established and both versions exhibited adequate values of internal consistency and evidence of concurrent validity. Conclusions. The full and brief form of the DTS is valid and reliable for Argentinian populations and it may be helpful in identifying those at risk (i.e., low DTS scores) for developing mental health problems.