Measuring Psychological Strains: A Psychometric Study to Develop a Shortened Version of the Psychological Strain Scales
The Psychological Strain Scale (PSS) has been widely used in various populations to assess the risks of suicidality and mental disorders. The current study aims to shorten the original 40-item scale and test its psychometric properties. Data were derived from three samples in China: (1) undergraduat...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/12/1157 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850042540623921152 |
|---|---|
| author | Ching Sin Siau Jie Zhang Won Sun Chen Nur Zakiah Mohd Saat Bob Lew Xiaodong Ma Kairi Kõlves |
| author_facet | Ching Sin Siau Jie Zhang Won Sun Chen Nur Zakiah Mohd Saat Bob Lew Xiaodong Ma Kairi Kõlves |
| author_sort | Ching Sin Siau |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Psychological Strain Scale (PSS) has been widely used in various populations to assess the risks of suicidality and mental disorders. The current study aims to shorten the original 40-item scale and test its psychometric properties. Data were derived from three samples in China: (1) undergraduate students (<i>n</i> = 10,742), (2) non-medical office employees (<i>n</i> = 1044), and (3) hospital workers (<i>n</i> = 949). A questionnaire was administered to the samples at about the same time of the year 2017. Data were randomly divided into Sub-study 1 (70% of the sample) and Sub-study 2 (30% of the sample). In Sub-study 1, principal component analyses were run and five items with the highest factor loadings within each subscale were retained, resulting in a 20-item PSS scale. Cronbach’s α estimates were above 0.70. In Sub-study 2, confirmatory factor analyses for the three samples revealed RMSEA values below 0.10, PNFI values below 0.50 for all samples, and CFI, TLI and NFI values above 0.90 for the student and non-medical office employee samples, but the hospital worker sample had a TLI of 0.88. The PSS-20 and its subscales were significantly associated with past-year suicidal ideation. The PSS-20 has acceptable psychometric properties but requires further testing in university students and hospital workers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-30151ec45bc9444e9f6bf3de28f62630 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-30151ec45bc9444e9f6bf3de28f626302025-08-20T02:55:31ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2024-12-011412115710.3390/bs14121157Measuring Psychological Strains: A Psychometric Study to Develop a Shortened Version of the Psychological Strain ScalesChing Sin Siau0Jie Zhang1Won Sun Chen2Nur Zakiah Mohd Saat3Bob Lew4Xiaodong Ma5Kairi Kõlves6Centre for Community Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, MalaysiaSchool of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, ChinaFaculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Perth, WA 6102, AustraliaCentre for Community Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, MalaysiaAustralian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4122, AustraliaFaculty of Medicine, Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan 467000, ChinaAustralian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4122, AustraliaThe Psychological Strain Scale (PSS) has been widely used in various populations to assess the risks of suicidality and mental disorders. The current study aims to shorten the original 40-item scale and test its psychometric properties. Data were derived from three samples in China: (1) undergraduate students (<i>n</i> = 10,742), (2) non-medical office employees (<i>n</i> = 1044), and (3) hospital workers (<i>n</i> = 949). A questionnaire was administered to the samples at about the same time of the year 2017. Data were randomly divided into Sub-study 1 (70% of the sample) and Sub-study 2 (30% of the sample). In Sub-study 1, principal component analyses were run and five items with the highest factor loadings within each subscale were retained, resulting in a 20-item PSS scale. Cronbach’s α estimates were above 0.70. In Sub-study 2, confirmatory factor analyses for the three samples revealed RMSEA values below 0.10, PNFI values below 0.50 for all samples, and CFI, TLI and NFI values above 0.90 for the student and non-medical office employee samples, but the hospital worker sample had a TLI of 0.88. The PSS-20 and its subscales were significantly associated with past-year suicidal ideation. The PSS-20 has acceptable psychometric properties but requires further testing in university students and hospital workers.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/12/1157psychological strainspsychometric propertiesvalidityChina |
| spellingShingle | Ching Sin Siau Jie Zhang Won Sun Chen Nur Zakiah Mohd Saat Bob Lew Xiaodong Ma Kairi Kõlves Measuring Psychological Strains: A Psychometric Study to Develop a Shortened Version of the Psychological Strain Scales Behavioral Sciences psychological strains psychometric properties validity China |
| title | Measuring Psychological Strains: A Psychometric Study to Develop a Shortened Version of the Psychological Strain Scales |
| title_full | Measuring Psychological Strains: A Psychometric Study to Develop a Shortened Version of the Psychological Strain Scales |
| title_fullStr | Measuring Psychological Strains: A Psychometric Study to Develop a Shortened Version of the Psychological Strain Scales |
| title_full_unstemmed | Measuring Psychological Strains: A Psychometric Study to Develop a Shortened Version of the Psychological Strain Scales |
| title_short | Measuring Psychological Strains: A Psychometric Study to Develop a Shortened Version of the Psychological Strain Scales |
| title_sort | measuring psychological strains a psychometric study to develop a shortened version of the psychological strain scales |
| topic | psychological strains psychometric properties validity China |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/12/1157 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chingsinsiau measuringpsychologicalstrainsapsychometricstudytodevelopashortenedversionofthepsychologicalstrainscales AT jiezhang measuringpsychologicalstrainsapsychometricstudytodevelopashortenedversionofthepsychologicalstrainscales AT wonsunchen measuringpsychologicalstrainsapsychometricstudytodevelopashortenedversionofthepsychologicalstrainscales AT nurzakiahmohdsaat measuringpsychologicalstrainsapsychometricstudytodevelopashortenedversionofthepsychologicalstrainscales AT boblew measuringpsychologicalstrainsapsychometricstudytodevelopashortenedversionofthepsychologicalstrainscales AT xiaodongma measuringpsychologicalstrainsapsychometricstudytodevelopashortenedversionofthepsychologicalstrainscales AT kairikolves measuringpsychologicalstrainsapsychometricstudytodevelopashortenedversionofthepsychologicalstrainscales |