Perceived Stress Scale

What it measures

The most widely used measure of the degree to which life situations are appraised as stressful. Taps perceived unpredictability, uncontrollability, and overload over the past month. Measures stress appraisal, not stressor exposure.

Representative items

• How often have you been upset because of something that happened unexpectedly?
• How often have you felt unable to control the important things in your life?
• How often have you felt confident about your ability to handle your personal problems? (R)
• How often have you been able to control irritations in your life? (R)

Citation

Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24(4), 385–396.