Dimensionality of stress experiences: Factorial structure of the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) in a population‐based Swedish sample |
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| Authors: | Michael Rönnlund Peter Vestergren Andreas Stenling Lars‐Göran Nilsson Maud Bergdahl Jan Bergdahl |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Psychology, Ume? University, Sweden;2. Department of Science and Mathematics Education, Ume? University, Sweden;3. Ume? Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Ume? University, Sweden;4. Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden;5. Department of Clinical Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Troms?, Norway |
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| Abstract: | We investigated the factorial structure of the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ‐recent; Levenstein, Prantera, Varvo et al., 1993) in a large (N = 1516; 35–95 years) population‐based Swedish sample (Nilsson, Adolfsson, Bäckman et al., 2004; Nilsson, Bäckman, Erngrund et al., 1997). Exploratory principal components analysis (PCA) was conducted on a first, randomly drawn subsample (n = 506). Next, the model based on the PCA was tested in a second sample (n = 505). Finally, a third sample (n = 505) was used to cross‐validate the model. Five components were extracted in the PCA (eigenvalue > 1) and labeled “Demands,” “Worries/Tension,” “Lack of joy,” “Conflict,” and “Fatigue,” respectively. Twenty‐one out of the 30 original PSQ items were retained in a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) model that included the five (first‐order) factors and, additionally, a general (second‐order) stress factor, not considered in prior models. The model showed reasonable goodness of fit [χ2(184) = 511.2, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.904; RMSEA = 0.059; and SRMR = 0.063]. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses supported the validity of the established model. The results are discussed in relation to prior investigations of the factorial structure of the PSQ. |
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| Keywords: | Perceived stress confirmatory factor analysis multigroup analysis |
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