Validity and reliability of the Cohen 10-item Perceived Stress Scale in patients with chronic headache: Persian...

The Cohen Perceived Stress Scale is being used widely in various countries. The present study evaluated the validity and reliability of the Cohen 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) in assessing tension headache, migraine, and stress-related diseases in Iran.

This study is a methodological and cross-sectional descriptive investigation of 100 patients with chronic headache admitted to the pain clinic of Baqiyatallah Educational and Therapeutic Center. Convenience sampling was used for subject selection. PSS psychometric properties were evaluated in two stages. First, the standard scale was translated. Then, the face validity, content, and construct of the translated version were determined.

The average age of participants was 38 years with a standard deviation (SD) of 13.2. As for stress levels, 12% were within the normal range, 36% had an intermediate level, and 52% had a high level of stress. The face validity and scale content were remarkable, and the KMO coefficient was 0.82. Bartlett's test yielded 0.327 which was statistically significant (p<0.0001) representing the quality of the sample. In factor analysis of the scale, the two elements of "coping" and "distress" were determined. A Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of 0.72 was obtained. This confirmed the remarkable internal consistency and stability of the scale through repeated measure tests (0.93).

The Persian PSS-10 has good internal consistency and reliability. The availability of a validated Persian PSS-10 would indicate a link between stress and chronic headache.