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Measuring exposure to racism: development and validation of a Race-Related Stressor Scale (RRSS) for Asian American
C M Loo1, J A Fairbank, R M Scurfield
1National Center for PTSD, Pacific Islands Division and Veterans Administration Medical and Regional Office Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. chalsa.loo@med.va.gov
Abstract:
This article describes the development and validation of the Race-Related Stressor Scale (RRSS), a questionnaire that assesses exposure to race-related stressors in the military and war zone. Validated on a sample of 300 Asian American Vietnam veterans, the RRSS has high internal consistency and adequate temporal stability. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that exposure to race-related stressors accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and general psychiatric symptoms, over and above (by 20% and 19%, respectively) that accounted for by combat exposure and military rank. The RRSS appears to be a psychometrically sound measure of exposure to race-related stressors for this population. Race-related stressors as measured by the RRSS appear to contribute uniquely and substantially to PTSD symptoms and generalized psychiatric distress.
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