PSS | Center on Trauma & Children

Perceived Stress Scale

Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., Mermelstein, R. (1983) A Global Measure of Perceived Stress Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24:4, 385-396.

The PSS-10 is a 10-question stress assessment instrument. The questions ask about your thoughts and feelings within the past month, you are asked to indicate how often you thought or felt a certain way. The questions are of a general nature and should be answered quickly by choosing the alternative that seems like a reasonable estimate.

Perceived Stress Scale

Questions	Never	Almost never	Sometimes	Fairly often	Very often
In the last month, how often have you been upset because of something that happened unexpectedly?	Never	Almost never	Sometimes	Fairly often	Very often
In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life?	Never	Almost never	Sometimes	Fairly often	Very often
In the last month, how often have you felt nervous and stressed?	Never	Almost never	Sometimes	Fairly often	Very often
In the last month, how often have you felt confident about your ability to handle your personal problems?	Never	Almost never	Sometimes	Fairly often	Very often
In the last month, how often have you felt that things were going your way?	Never	Almost never	Sometimes	Fairly often	Very often
In the last month, how often have you found that you could not cope with all the things that you had to do?	Never	Almost never	Sometimes	Fairly often	Very often
In the last month, how often have you been able to control irritations in your life?	Never	Almost never	Sometimes	Fairly often	Very often
In the last month, how often have you felt that you were on top of things?	Never	Almost never	Sometimes	Fairly often	Very often
In the last month, how often have you been angered because of things that happened that were outside of your control?	Never	Almost never	Sometimes	Fairly often	Very often
In the last month, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high that you could not overcome them?	Never	Almost never	Sometimes	Fairly often	Very often

Important Information
(859) 218-6901	Center on Trauma and Children
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(888) 373-7888	National Human Trafficking Hotline
Call or Text 988	National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Information on childhood trauma	National Child Traumatic Stress Network