[Development and psychometric evaluation of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire short form (BJSQ-10)]

This study aimed to develop a short form of the 57-item Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ-57), designated as BJSQ-10, to complement the mandatory annual stress check program and to enable more frequent monitoring of occupational stress, and to psychometrically evaluate its reliability and validity. Study 1 involved item selection for the short form through exploratory factor analysis using BJSQ-57 response data, while Study 2 examined the reliability and validity of the developed scale using online survey data. Study 1 Methods: Item selection was conducted using BJSQ-57 response data from 18,155 employees across 18 worksites, integrating t-test-based statistics, effect sizes (Cohen's d), exploratory factor analysis results, and practical applicability in occupational health settings.

Ten items were selected, covering three domains: job stressors, stress responses, and social support. Using BJSQ-57 as the criterion for high-stress identification, the BJSQ-10 demonstrated good classification accuracy with moderate agreement. Study 2 Methods: Response data from 475 employed adults, obtained through an online survey, were used to examine the reliability and validity of the BJSQ-10. Reliability was assessed regarding internal consistency, while validity was evaluated through concurrent validity based on the association with the BJSQ-57, construct validity through associations with other scales (SHS and TAC-24), and examination of a causal model using structural equation modeling.

Sufficient internal consistency was confirmed for the stress response and social support subscales. The alpha coefficient for job stressors was relatively low because of the nature of the scale design. Correlations with the corresponding BJSQ-57 domains were generally satisfactory across subscales, and construct validity was supported by structural equation modeling.

The BJSQ-10 was developed as a short form, demonstrating acceptable levels of reliability and validity. The scale is considered useful as a continuous monitoring tool to complement the annual stress check program. However, several limitations were identified in this study, and further validation is warranted.