74% of us have felt overwhelmed with stress in the last year and this can have real consequences. Whilst banishing stress isn’t as easy as...
Read MoreThe Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a psychological tool created to gauge how individuals perceive stress. Developed by Sheldon Cohen in 1983, it evaluates the extent to which life situations are considered stressful. The scale comprises a set of questions that inquire about one’s feelings and thoughts over the past month.
Before you begin the Stress Test.
Note. The results of this test do not constitute medical advice and we recommend that you consult a medical professional about your stress levels before making any lifestyle changes related to your stress.
High stress manifests through physical symptoms like headaches and fatigue, emotional issues such as irritability and anxiety, cognitive problems like poor concentration and memory, and behavioral changes such as altered eating habits and social withdrawal. These symptoms can adversely affect work, relationships, and health, necessitating prompt intervention.
Moderate stress can cause occasional headaches, mild fatigue, irritability, mild anxiety, and occasional difficulty concentrating. It might lead to minor changes in appetite, social withdrawal, and procrastination. These effects can slightly impact work, relationships, and health, but are generally manageable with good coping strategies.
Someone with low stress tends to enjoy good physical health, calm emotions, clear thinking, healthy habits, and productive behaviour, leading to a positive impact on work, relationships, and overall well-being.
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After using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and obtaining the results, several steps can be taken to make the most of this information. These steps can help in understanding the results, taking appropriate actions, and managing stress effectively.
Higher scores on the PSS indicate higher perceived stress. Compare your score to normative data if available, or consider how your score compares to your previous scores if you have taken the PSS before. Reflect on which questions you rated highest to identify specific stressors or areas of your life that are contributing most to your stress.
Think about the situations or events that might be causing high stress. Consider factors such as work, relationships, health, or other personal circumstances. Assess how you are currently managing stress and whether your coping strategies are effective or need adjustment.
If your PSS score indicates high stress, or if stress is significantly impacting your daily life, it may be beneficial to seek support from a mental health professional. They can provide strategies and interventions tailored to your needs. In some cases, stress can lead to or exacerbate physical health issues. Consulting with a healthcare provider can help address any stress-related health concerns.
Practices such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, and progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce stress. Regular physical activity is a proven way to decrease stress levels and improve overall well-being. Ensuring you are getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and staying hydrated can also have a positive impact on stress levels.
Sharing your feelings and experiences with trusted individuals can provide emotional support and alleviate stress. You could also consider joining groups where you can connect with others who may be experiencing similar stressors.
Break down tasks into manageable steps and prioritise them. This can help reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed. Setting achievable goals and celebrating small successes can improve motivation and reduce stress.
Make your living or working space more comfortable and less stressful. This can include decluttering, adding plants, or incorporating calming colours. If possible, identify and reduce specific stressors in your environment. This might involve setting boundaries at work or delegating tasks.
Periodically retake the PSS to monitor changes in your stress levels and the effectiveness of your stress management strategies. Based on subsequent PSS results, continue to refine and adapt your stress management techniques.
Bearable is an app designed to help you monitor changes in your symptom severity for any health condition including stress. This can help you to; identify potential triggers, understand the impact of treatments, share data with your medical team, and feel more in control of stress. Start tracking your stress levels and monitoring trends for free today. Download Bearable on the Play Store or App Store.
The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a psychological instrument designed to measure the perception of stress. Developed by Sheldon Cohen in 1983, it assesses the degree to which situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful. The scale consists of a series of questions that ask about feelings and thoughts during the past month. It is a widely used tool in stress research and is available in different versions, commonly with 10 or 14 items (PSS-10 or PSS-14).
📏 Subjective Measure.
It captures the individual’s perception of stress, recognizing that stress is not just about the number of stressors but how they are perceived.
⏲️ Simple and Quick.
The scale is brief and easy to administer, making it convenient for use in both clinical and research settings.
💯 Scoring.
Responses are given on a Likert scale (e.g., 0 = never, 4 = very often). Some items are positively worded and others are negatively worded, which helps control for response bias.
😟 Interpretation.
Higher scores indicate higher perceived stress. The scores can be used to understand the stress levels of individuals or groups, track changes over time, or evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.
💪 Reliability and Validity.
The PSS has been validated in numerous studies and has shown good reliability and validity across different populations and settings.
Perceived helplessness is a psychological state in which an individual believes they have no control over the outcomes of their actions or the events affecting their life. This perception often leads to feelings of resignation, passivity, and an inability to take proactive steps to change their circumstances.
Perceived helplessness can contribute to various negative emotional and mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and stress. It can result from repeated exposure to uncontrollable situations or from cognitive biases that distort one’s view of their ability to influence their environment.
A lack of self-efficacy refers to a person’s belief that they are not capable of effectively performing tasks or achieving goals. Self-efficacy, a concept introduced by psychologist Albert Bandura, is the belief in one’s abilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations.
When an individual lacks self-efficacy, they doubt their competence and are likely to feel overwhelmed by challenges, avoid difficult tasks, and give up easily when faced with obstacles. This can lead to lower performance, reduced motivation, and a higher susceptibility to stress and anxiety.
Using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) offers several significant benefits, particularly for understanding and managing stress. Here are key reasons why someone might use the PSS:
Individuals can gain a clearer understanding of their stress levels, which might not be apparent through objective measures alone. Understanding one’s perceived stress also helps tailor interventions to the individual’s specific needs and perceptions.
The PSS allows for tracking changes in stress levels over time, which can be useful for evaluating the impact of stress management strategies or therapeutic interventions. It can also be used to measure stress levels before and after significant life events or interventions to gauge their impact.
The PSS is a well-validated and widely used tool, making it a reliable choice for research studies that aim to measure stress levels across different populations. Researchers can use the PSS to compare stress levels between different groups, such as those undergoing different types of treatments or those in various occupational settings.
Clinicians can use the PSS to identify patients who are experiencing high levels of stress and may benefit from stress management or therapeutic interventions. It helps clinicians develop personalised treatment plans based on the specific stressors and stress levels reported by patients.
Organisations can use the PSS to assess employee stress levels, which can inform the development of wellness programs and interventions aimed at reducing workplace stress. By addressing stress, organizations can improve overall productivity, job satisfaction, and employee retention.
Identifying high-stress levels early can help in taking preventive measures to avoid stress-related health issues such as cardiovascular diseases, mental health disorders, and other stress-induced conditions. It also encourages a holistic approach to health by considering psychological and emotional well-being alongside physical health.
The PSS is brief and easy to administer, making it accessible for a wide range of individuals, including those with limited time or those who may find lengthy assessments burdensome. It is also a cost-effective tool that does not require specialised equipment or extensive training to administer and interpret.
Cohen, S., & Williamson, G. (1988). Perceived stress in a probability sample of the United States. In S. Spacapan & S. Oskamp (Eds.), The social psychology of health: Claremont Symposium on applied social psychology. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Cohen, S., & Janicki-Deverts, D. (2012). Who’s stressed? Distributions of psychological stress in the United States in probability samples from 1983, 2006, and 20091. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 42(6), 1320–1334. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2012.00900.x
Cohen, S., Kamarch, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24, 385.
Cohen’s Laboratory for the Study of Stress, Immunity and Disease. (2021). Dr.Cohen’s Scales. Retrieved Oct 9, 2021, from https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/psychology/stress-immunity-disease-lab/scales/index.html
Cohen, S., & Williamson, G. (1988). Perceived stress in a probability sample of the United States. In S. Spacapan, & S. Oskamp (Eds.),The social psychology of health: Claremont symposium on applied social psychology. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Lee, E.-H. (2012). Review of the psychometric evidence of the perceived stress scale. Asian Nursing Research, 6(4), 121–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2012.08.004
Taylor, J. M. (2015). Psychometric analysis of the Ten-Item Perceived Stress Scale. Psychological Assessment, 27(1), 90–101. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038100
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