Scientific Information System Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Eduardo Remor Psychometric properties of a European Spanish version of the perceived stress scale (PSS) The Spanish Journal of Psychology, vol. 9, núm. 1, mayo, 2006, pp. 86-93, Universidad Complutense de Madrid España Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=17290110 The Spanish Journal of Psychology, ISSN (Printed Version): 1138-7416 [email protected] Universidad Complutense de Madrid España How to cite Complete issue More information about this article Journal's homepage www.redalyc.org Non-Profit Academic Project, developed under the Open Acces Initiative The Spanish Journal of Psychology Copyright 2006 by The Spanish Journal of Psychology 2006, Vol. 9, No. 1, 86-93 ISSN 1138-7416 Psychometric Properties of a European Spanish Version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) Eduardo Remor Universidad Autónoma de Madrid This paper presents evidence from a heterogeneous sample of 440 Spanish adults, for the reliability and validity of a European Spanish version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), designed to measure the degree to which situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful. The European Spanish version PSS (14-item) demonstrated adequate reliability (internal consistency, α = .81, and test-retest, r = .73), validity (concurrent), and sensitivity. Additional data indicate adequate reliability (α = .82, test-retest, r = .77), validity, and sensitivity of a 10-item short version of the PSS. Keywords: PSS, psychometric properties, Spanish, Spain, perceived stress El presente articulo demuestra la fiabilidad y la validez de la versión española de la Escala de Estrés Percibido (PSS en el original) a partir del estudio de las propiedades psicométricas de la escala en una muestra heterogénea de 440 adultos españoles. La PSS fue diseñada para medir el grado en que las situaciones en la vida se valoran como estresantes. La versión española de la PSS (14-ítems) demostró una adecuada fiabilidad (consistencia interna, α = .81, y test-retest, r = .73), validez (concurrente), y sensibilidad. Datos adicionales indicaron una fiabilidad (α = .82, test-retest, r = .77), validez, y sensibilidad adecuadas también para la versión corta de 10-ítems (PSS-10). Palabras clave: PSS, propiedades psicométricas, Español, España, estrés percibido Acknowledgments: The author would like to acknowledge Carolina Del Rincón for her help with the data collection related to the parents of children with hemophilia and Montserrat Amorós for helping with the data tabulation. Thanks also to Ellen Conser (Research Associate at Dr. Sheldon Cohen’s Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University) for reviewing the draft version of the manuscript. Address correspondence to: Dr. Eduardo Remor. Departamento de Psicología Biológica y de la Salud, Facultad de Psicología, C/ Ivan Pavlov, 6, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain). Fax: +34 - 91 397 5215. E-mail: [email protected] 86 PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE SPANISH VERSION 87 The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), developed by Cohen, Carrobles, 2001), preliminary results including psychometric Kamarck, and Mermelstein (1983), is being used with an data suggested good performance of the scale in assessing increasing degree of regularity in a variety of samples. Studies perceived stress. The objective of the present study was to utilizing the PSS as a measure of perceived stress include, for ascertain the psychometric properties of the PSS in a larger, example, those addressing susceptibility to respiratory diseases more diverse Spanish sample both of healthy and ill adults. (Cobb & Steptoe, 1996; Cohen, Doyle, & Skoner, 1999; Cohen, In particular, we attempted to verify its reliability (related Tyrell & Smith, 1993); wound healing (Glaser et al., 1999); to internal consistency and test-retest), and, secondly, to prostate cancer (Stone, Mezzacappa, Donatone, & Gonder, verify its validity with reference to an external criterion 1999); stress of caretakers of chronic (Alzheimer’s) patients (concurrent validity), as well as validity related to sensitivity. (Dyck, Short, & Vitaliano, 1999; Losada-Baltar, 2005; Stowell, A third objective was to test the utility of the PSS short Kiecolt-Glaser, & Glaser, 2001); academic stress (Malarkey, version (10 items) in assessing perceived stress. Pearl, Demers, Kiecolt-Glaser, & Glaser, 1995); stress related to HIV infection/AIDS (Cruess et al., 1999; Ironson et al., 2002; Remor, 2000; Remor & Carrobles, 2001); and stress Method related to psychiatric patients (Hewitt, Flett, & Mosher (1992). The PSS was designed to measure “the degree to which Participants individuals appraise situations in their lives as stressful” (Cohen, 1986, p. 716). Items evaluate the degree to which A total of 440 participants were assessed during this people find that life is unpredictable, uncontrollable, or validation study: 195 males and 240 females (and 5 participants overloaded. These three aspects have repeatedly been of unspecified sex). The mean age of the sample was 31.7 confirmed as central components of the experience of stress years (SD = 9.9; range 18-69 years). This sample was composed (e.g., Averill, 1973; Cohen, 1978; Glass & Singer, 1972; of four different groups of participants: (a) parents of Lazarus, 1966; Seligman, 1975). The scale includes questions chronically-ill children (hemophilia), (b) substance abusers intended to evaluate the current level of stress experienced undergoing outpatient methadone treatment at the Drug-Addict by the subject. The PSS is a brief scale, consisting of only Attendance Center, (c) generally healthy undergraduate 14 items (a shorter version with 10-items, the PSS-10, is university students1, and (d) HIV-positive individuals (with 5+ also available), administered in only a few minutes, and years of HIV infection) undergoing outpatient treatment at the easily scored. Moreover, because the PSS taps general beliefs university hospital. Table 1 details the sample characteristics. about perceived stress without providing subjects with a list of specific life events, scores are not biased by event content Instruments or by differential recall of past life experiences. Because the level of perceived stress seems to be Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; Cohen et al., 1983). The influenced by daily stressors, vital events, and resources level of perceived stress was evaluated by means of the PSS encountered by the subject, the temporal validity of stress Scale. This scale is a self- report instrument that evaluates evaluated by the PSS is brief: 8 weeks (Cohen et al., 1983). the level of perceived stress during the last month, and consists Although previous studies in the U.S. and Canada (e.g., of 14 items with a 5-point response scale (0 = never, 1 = Cohen et al., 1983; Cohen, Kessler, & Gordon, 1995; Hewitt almost never, 2 = once in a while, 3 = often, 4 = very often). et al., 1992) suggest that the psychometric properties of The total score of the PSS is obtained by reversing the scores the scale for evaluating perceived stress are adequate, it is of items 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 13 (in the following manner: necessary to study the psychometric properties in a Spanish 0 = 4, 1 = 3, 2 = 2, 3 = 1, and 4 = 0) and subsequently adding sample. In previous work published in Spain (Remor & the 14 item scores. A higher score indicates a higher level of Table 1 Sample Characteristics (N = 440) HIV-positive outpatients Substance abusers in outpatient Parents of chronically ill University students (>5 years HIV+) methadone treatment children (hemophilia) (n = 229) (n = 100) (n = 51) (n = 60) Mean Age (SD) 37.3 (8.3) 34.9 (5.1) 37.4 (6.4) 26.9 (9.9) Sex (%) Men 59 83.3 40 46.3 Women 41 16.7 60 53.7 1 The assessment sessions of the university student group were performed during the month prior to the university exams period. 88 REMOR perceived stress. Scale items are easy to understand and the Statistical Analyses response alternatives are easy to mark. Following the guidelines from the original authors of the Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, and range) scale (Cohen et al., 1983), a short 10-item version can be were calculated with all variables; percentage of sex category created from the PSS pool of items: the PSS-10. PSS-10 was also described. The reliability related to internal consistency scores are obtained by reversing the scores on the four positive was measured by alpha coefficient and test-retest by Pearson’s items (Items 6, 7, 8, and 9) and then summing across all 10 correlations. Concurrent validity was assessed by Pearson’s items (1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 14). A European Spanish correlation between PSS scores and HADS (clinical sample). version of the PSS scale is presented in Appendix A. Sensitivity of the scale was assessed by: (a) addressing sex effects in perceived stress (an ANOVA was conducted using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS; Zigmond the total PSS scores as the dependent variable and sex as the & Snaith, 1983). The HADS is composed of 14 items divided independent variable); (b) addressing age effects in perceived into two subscales with 7 items each, evaluating Anxiety stress (a Pearson correlation was conducted); and (c) addressing (HADS-A) and Depression (HADS-D), respectively. A Global the ability of the scale to identify different populations under Distress measure (HADS-T) can be obtained by summing different degrees of stress (an ANCOVA between sample groups across all 14 items (Bjelland, Dahl, Haug, & Neckelmann, was performed: Sex × Group with age as covariable); in 2002). The scale is a self-administered instrument with a 4- addition, a post hoc analysis was conducted as well, to identify point Likert-type scale (0 to 3). The anxiety level of our between which groups the differences were significant. All data clinical-sample subjects was evaluated by means of the analyses were performed using SPSS/PC, version 11.0. HADS-A, and the distress level by means of the total HADS- T scores.