- Mental health
- General medicine
PSS-10 score
Measure perceived stress
The PSS-10 measures perceived stress over the past month, particularly the feeling that situations are difficult to manage. Widely used in occupational health, it documents a subjective experience, without diagnosing an anxiety disorder, depression, or burnout.
- Number of questions
- 10 questions
- Approximate duration
- 2 to 3 minutes
- Population
- Adults
- Modality
- Self-administered questionnaire
QuestionnairePSS-10
SELF-QUESTIONNAIRE
Responses are scored from 0 to 4 based on how often the feeling was experienced over the past month. Four positively phrased items (confidence, things going one's way, control over irritations, feeling on top of things) are reverse-scored.
Are you patient?
You can complete this scale yourself. The total score does not classify you as ill or not ill; your discomfort and its impact can be discussed regardless of the result.
Terms of contract
Maintain dedicated time during the interview to discuss stressors and perceived resources. An identical score on two different dates does not mean that the underlying stress factors are the same. The 4-, 10-, and 14-item versions are not directly comparable.
Score interpretationPSS-10
After reversing the scores of the four positive items, the total ranges from 0 to 40. The higher the score, the higher the level of perceived stress.
Total score
First reading
0 to 40
The higher the score, the higher the level of perceived stress. This is a continuous measure: there is no official diagnostic threshold for the PSS.
Interpretation relies on the context or on appropriate reference data, not on a diagnostic threshold.
There is no universal official diagnostic threshold for the PSS: the brackets sometimes shared online must not be presented as a diagnostic classification. The PSS-10 does not specifically measure burnout, and an external reference average does not constitute an individual norm.
Frequently asked questions
Sources and references
Sheldon Cohen et al.; 10-item version: Cohen and Williamson
Original PSS: 1983; 10-item version: 1988.
Questionnaires and associated scores
Integrate questionnaires into your practice
One-off collection or questionnaire integrated into a journey: let's discuss your needs with Aldebaran.