Perceived Stress Scale
Encyclopedia
The Perceived Stress Scale was developed to measure of the degree to which situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful. Psychological stress
has been defined as the extent to which persons perceive (appraise) that their demands exceed their ability to cope
.
The PSS was published in 1983, and has become one of the most widely used psychological instruments
for measuring nonspecific perceived stress. It has been used in studies assessing the stressfulness of situations, the effectiveness of stress-reducing interventions, and the extent to which there are associations between psychological stress and psychiatric and physical disorders.
The PSS predicts both objective biological markers of stress and increased risk for disease
among persons with higher perceived stress levels. For example, those with higher scores (suggestive of chronic stress
) on the PSS fend worse on biological markers of aging, cortisol
levels, immune markers
, depression
, infectious disease
, wound healing
, and prostate-specific antigen levels in men.
The Perceived Stress scale was developed by Sheldon Cohen
and his colleagues.
Stress (biology)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
has been defined as the extent to which persons perceive (appraise) that their demands exceed their ability to cope
Coping (psychology)
Coping has been defined in psychological terms by Susan Folkman and Richard Lazarus as "constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific external and/or internal demands that are appraised as taxing" or "exceeding the resources of the person".Coping is thus expending...
.
The PSS was published in 1983, and has become one of the most widely used psychological instruments
Psychological testing
Psychological testing is a field characterized by the use of samples of behavior in order to assess psychological construct, such as cognitive and emotional functioning, about a given individual. The technical term for the science behind psychological testing is psychometrics...
for measuring nonspecific perceived stress. It has been used in studies assessing the stressfulness of situations, the effectiveness of stress-reducing interventions, and the extent to which there are associations between psychological stress and psychiatric and physical disorders.
The PSS predicts both objective biological markers of stress and increased risk for disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
among persons with higher perceived stress levels. For example, those with higher scores (suggestive of chronic stress
Chronic stress
Chronic stress is the response to emotional pressure suffered for a prolonged period over which an individual perceives he or she has no control. It involves an endocrine system response in which occurs a release of corticosteroids...
) on the PSS fend worse on biological markers of aging, cortisol
Cortisol
Cortisol is a steroid hormone, more specifically a glucocorticoid, produced by the adrenal gland. It is released in response to stress and a low level of blood glucocorticoids. Its primary functions are to increase blood sugar through gluconeogenesis; suppress the immune system; and aid in fat,...
levels, immune markers
Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
, depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
, infectious disease
Infectious disease
Infectious diseases, also known as communicable diseases, contagious diseases or transmissible diseases comprise clinically evident illness resulting from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic biological agents in an individual host organism...
, wound healing
Wound healing
Wound healing, or cicatrisation, is an intricate process in which the skin repairs itself after injury. In normal skin, the epidermis and dermis exists in a steady-state equilibrium, forming a protective barrier against the external environment...
, and prostate-specific antigen levels in men.
The Perceived Stress scale was developed by Sheldon Cohen
Sheldon Cohen
Sheldon Cohen is the Robert E. Doherty Professor of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University. He is the director of the Laboratory for the Study of Stress, Immunity and Disease...
and his colleagues.