Validation of a five-point self-rated stress score.
OBJECTIVE
To validate a five-point self-rated stress score (SRSS) with the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) questionnaire in identifying psychological distress.


METHODS
A retrospective cohort study was conducted involving 266 consecutive patients seen in the division of clinical health psychology. Patients were asked to rate their stress level on a numeric score from 1 (low stress) to 5 (high stress). Patients also completed the SCL-90-R questionnaire, from which the Global Severity Index (GSI) was calculated.


RESULTS
The SRSS correlated positively with the GSI (r = .40, p < .001). After multivariate adjustment, the odds ratio of psychological distress for patients with an SRSS of 2, 3, 4, and 5 relative to those with low stress were 2.6 (p = .30), 2.4 (p = .30), 6.1 (p < .05), and 24.8 (p < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with the highest self-rated stress levels have a significantly increased risk of psychological distress. The SRSS is simple to administer in the outpatient setting and may be a useful instrument in screening for psychological distress.
Lim
Lionel S
LS
Division of Preventive and Occupational Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA. lionel_lim@hotmail.com
Williams
Donald E
DE
Hagen
Philip T
PT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States