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The Poverty-Related Stress Scale: Development and Validation of a Multidimensional Measure Assessing Poverty-Related
Brianna Allen1, Jeffrey Klibert1, Llewellyn E van Zyl2,3,4,5
1Department of Psychology, Georgia Southern University, USA.
Depression and Anxiety
|April 14, 2025
Summary
This study developed the Poverty-Related Stress Scale (PRSS) to better measure how financial hardship impacts mental well-being. The PRSS reliably assesses stress from noise, housing, and finances, linking them to depression and anxiety.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Poverty-related stress significantly impacts behavioral health outcomes.
- Existing research on adult poverty-related stress is limited in scope and measurement.
- A comprehensive approach is needed to develop and validate a robust measure for poverty-related stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a multidimensional Poverty-Related Stress Scale (PRSS).
- To address the limitations in existing measures of poverty-related stress.
- To provide a reliable tool for assessing the multifaceted nature of poverty-related stress.
Main Methods:
- A multistudy research design was employed for scale development and validation.
- Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, including ESEM, were used to establish the factor structure and psychometric properties.
- Criterion validity was assessed by examining relationships with depression, anxiety, and flourishing.
Main Results:
- A hierarchical ESEM model supported poverty-related stress as a construct encompassing noise disturbance, housing dysfunction, and financial distress.
- The PRSS demonstrated temporal invariance and reliable measurement of distinct stress components.
- Significant concurrent and predictive validity was found, with PRSS scores correlating with depression, anxiety, and flourishing.
Conclusions:
- The developed PRSS is a valid and reliable tool for measuring poverty-related stress and its components.
- Findings support the scale's utility in understanding the link between poverty and behavioral health.
- Further research and clinical applications are warranted to explore the implications of poverty-related stress.
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