Psychometric testing of the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale for Chinese nurses

Abstract

Background Nurses bear a lot of stressors at work. The 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) is a widely used self-reported scale for measuring the global perception of stress. However, there is a lack of the use of PSS-10 in Chinese nurses. This study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the PSS-10 among Chinese nurses.Methods A total of 708 Chinese nurses completed the PSS-10, the Big Five Inventory, and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tested the factor structure of PSS-10. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and test-retest correlation examined the scale reliability. Pearson correlation and hierarchical regression analyses tested the convergent and concurrent validity of PSS-10.Results CFA revealed that a two-factor model fits the structure of PSS-10 in Chinese nurses. The scale demonstrated adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and satisfied convergent validity with relations to Big Five personality traits. Evidence for concurrent validity was found via the observation that the PSS-10 score explained incremental variance in predicting anxiety, depression and stress.Conclusions Our findings suggest that PSS-10 is a sound measure of perceived stress in Chinese nurses and can be used in future research and practice on stress management and coping among Chinese nurses.