Consistency and validity of self-reporting scores in stress measurement surveys

Stress has been attributed to physiological and psychological demands that exceed the natural regulatory capacity of a person. Chronic stress is not only a catalyst for diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, insomnia but may also lead to social problems such as marriage breakups, suicide and violence. Objective assessment of stress is difficult so self-reports are commonly used to indicate the severity of stress. However, empirical information on the validity of self-reports is limited. The present study investigated the authenticity and validity of different self-report surveys. An analysis, based on a three-pronged strategy, was performed on these surveys. It was concluded that although subjects are prone to systematic error in reporting, self-reports can provide a useful substitute for data modeling specifically in stress evaluation where other objective assessments such as determination of stress using only physiological response are difficult.