Perceived Stress Scale

For each question choose from the following alternatives Never Almost never Sometimes Fairly often Very often
1: In the last month, how often have you been upset because of something that happened unexpectedly?
2: In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control theimportant things in your life?
3: In the last month, how often have you felt nervous and stressed?
4: In the last month, how often have you felt confident about your ability to handle your personal problems?
5: In the last month, how often have you felt that things were going your way?
6: In the last month, how often have you found that you could not cope withall the things that you had to do?
7: In the last month, how often have you been able to control irritations inyour life?
8: In the last month, how often have you felt that you were on top of things?
9: In the last month, how often have you been angered because of things thathappened that were outside of your control?
10: In the last month, how often have you felt difficulties were piling up so high thatyou could not overcome them?
  1. Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., and Mermelstein, R. A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 1983; 24: 386-396.
  2. Cohen, S. and Williamson, G. Perceived Stress in a Probability Sample of the United States. Spacapan, S. and Oskamp, S. (Eds.) The Social Psychology of Health. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1988