Psychometric properties of the Overall Anxiety and Depression Severity and Impairment Scales in a Chilean sample

Introduction: Anxiety and depressive disorders are common worldwide; their frequent co-occurrence is explained by shared emotion dysregulation. The Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS) and the Overall Depression Severity and Impairment Scale (ODSIS) enable efficient assessment of emotional disorders by focusing on functional impairment rather than on summing symptoms within diagnostic categories. Objective: To validate the use of the ODSIS and OASIS in the Chilean population. Method: A unidimensional structure was evaluated via confirmatory factor analysis in 740 adults. Internal consistency, temporal stability, and convergent validity were estimated; cutoff points and sex-based measurement invariance were also examined. Results: Acceptable fit indices and very high reliability levels were found for both scales. In addition, cutoff scores of ≥ 6 for ODSIS and ≥ 7 for OASIS were identified, indicating significant depression and anxiety. Finally, multigroup scalar invariance was established for comparisons between men and women. Conclusions: Both scales are valid for use in the Chilean population, with good fit and cutoff points that allow categorization according to severity. Due to their brevity and simplicity, their use is recommended in various clinical care settings.