Analysis of the psychometric properties of the Death Anxiety Scale (Spanish-Colombian version) for general population

| Introduction: Death anxiety is a commonly experienced emotional response that emerges from the perception of danger inherent in existence, an area that has received limited research attention in Colombia. Method: The aim of this study was to analyse the psychometric properties of the DaS within the Colombian general population. The cross-cultural adaptation of the scale was conducted. Validity and reliability calculations, as well as rasch analysis was carried out. The EFa revealed a three-factor structure, validated by Confirmatory analysis, demonstrating an appropriate model fit. Results: The results indicate that the Colombian-Spanish version of the DaS is a valuable tool (with Kr-20 0.66, Cronbach alpha: 0.66; McDonald’s omega: 0.7; guttman’s lambda: 0.68; and glB: 0.77) for assessing levels of death anxiety in the Colombian non-clinical population. Conclusion: The Colombian background of Da is shaped by a history of armed conflict and violence marked by systematic breaches of human rights. Da worsens when individuals believe that their personal safety is in risk, which happens frequently in this country. Therefore, validating a scale that allows for the assessment of Da in both clinical and non-clinical groups is pertinent and coherent.