PSS-10 Perceived Stress Scale
StressSelf-assessmentMental Health
Questions
10 items
Duration
Usually 3-5 minutes
Introduction
The Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) is a widely used psychological stress assessment tool. The scale consists of 10 items that primarily assess an individual's perception of stress from life events over the past month. PSS-10 does not measure specific stressors, but rather measures an individual's subjective experience of stress and perceived coping ability.
Test Instructions
Please rate how often you felt or thought a certain way during the past month. Choose the option that best describes your situation. Each question has five choices: Never, Almost never, Sometimes, Fairly often, Very often.
Scoring Method
- 1Total Score: Sum of all 10 items, range 0-40 points
- 2Positive items: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10 (scored normally)
- 3Negative items: 4, 5, 7, 8 (reverse scored)
- 4Severity: Higher scores indicate greater perceived stress
Dimension Explanation
1
Stress PerceptionPerception of unpredictability and uncontrollability in life
2
Coping AbilityConfidence in one's ability to cope and control situations
3
Stress OverloadFeeling that life demands exceed coping abilities
4
Emotional ResponseEmotional reactions to stressful situations
Notes
- 💡This scale is suitable for assessing stress perception levels in adults
- 💡PSS-10 scores do not have absolute cutoff values and need comprehensive analysis
- 💡Persistent high stress perception may affect physical and mental health