Development and validation of a stress response measure: the Daily Stress Response Scale (DSRS)

Background: To date, there is a lack of measures for capturing a broad spectrum of psychophysiological stress reactions that can be administered on a daily basis and in different contexts. A need for such a measure is especially salient in settings where stress processes can unfold momentarily and substantially fluctuate daily. Therefore, the main aim of the current study was to develop and validate the Daily Stress Response Scale (DSRS), an instrument capturing a broad spectrum of psychophysiological stress reactions that can be administered in real time and in different contexts.

Participants and procedure: The study was conducted in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. Participants were 7228 (81% female) Polish university students. The data were collected anonymously through self-completion questionnaires. The DSRS was subject to confirmatory factor analyses (CFA).

Results: The DSRS is a 30-item, easy-to-use stress response measure with acceptable psychometric properties. Based on CFA results, the scale consists of two subscales, psychological and physiological stress response, which form associations with related external criteria.

Conclusions: The DSRS is a reliable and valid measure of psychological and physiological stress reactions that can be used to assess stress response to daily stressors, including those of acute nature, such as a crisis, trauma, or surgery.