Summary on the Validity Study of the Hungarian Version of the Perceived Stress Scale

We studied the characteristics of the Hungarian version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS, Cohen et al., 1983) based on data from 217 persons willing to participate in a stressmanagement program (Williams LifeSkills Program). The shorter versions of the questionnaire (PSS10, PSS4) were strongly correlated (r = 0,99 and 0,93) to the original 14item questionnaire (PSS14), the internal consistency of all three versions was very good (the Cronbach-alfa were respectively 0,88; 0,85; 0,79), and their test-retest reliability was also excellent (r = 0,90). Gender, age and school degree did not influence significantly the total score, while we found different mean scores in our different subsamples: health professionals (physician, nurse, psychologist) scored lower than the “normal” and student groups, patients with somatic disease (cancer) scored higher, and the highest scores were reached by the group of psychiatric patients (the presenting symptom for most of them was anxiety). We also confirmed the validity of the questionnaire in comparison with other known psychological scales. We found moderately strong correlation between PSS and subjective somatic symptoms (PHQ), the WHO Well-Being Scale and the shortened Cook-Medley Hostility scores; the correlation was stronger with depression (Shortened Beck Depression Inventory, BDI) and anxiety (Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI-T) scores: the correlation coefficents were between 0,52 and 0,85. These results indicate that although there is a connection between perceived stress and diverse psychic and somatic symptoms, the variable measured by PSS is a dictinct indicator, appropriate for estimating chronic stress as a risk factor.