Development of the Brief Inventory of Perceived Stress

OBJECTIVES: To provide a measure of perceived stress that is psychometrically superior to existing instruments and novel in dimensionality. DESIGN: At 4-week intervals over 48 weeks, patients with multiple sclerosis (N = 138) completed 26 items from the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ). RESULTS: Extant factor analytic models of the PSS fit poorly. A new measure using nine PSS and PSQ items, the Brief Inventory of Perceived Stress (BIPS), demonstrated good fit, construct validity, and stability with 3 factors: Lack of Control, Pushed, and Conflict and Imposition. CONCLUSIONS: Items commonly used to measure perceived stress may have a more sophisticated underlying structure than previously thought. The BIPS's multidimensionality and longitudinal stability offer potential benefits in conceptualization and outcome prediction.