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Protocol - Chronic Stress

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Description

The chronic stress scale includes a list of 51 items about common life conditions and situations (e.g., financial issues, work, love and marriage, family and children, social life). The interviewer reads each item aloud and asks the respondent to reply with not true (0), somewhat true (1), or very true (2).

Specific Instructions

The researcher may want to collect information about other types of stress (e.g., traumatic life events, other life events) to conduct a comprehensive stress assessment.

Availability

Available

Protocol

Now, Ill describe some situations that sometimes come up in peoples lives. Id like you to tell me if these things are not true, somewhat true, or very true for you at this time.

1. Youre trying to take on too many things at once.

2. There is too much pressure on you to be like other people.

3. Too much is expected of you by others.

4. You dont have enough money to buy the things you or your kids need.

5. You have a long-term debt or loan.

6. Your rent or mortgage is too much.

7. You dont have enough money to take vacations.

8. You dont have enough money to make a down payment on a home.

9. You have more work to do than most people.

10. Your supervisor is always monitoring what you do at work.

11. You want to change jobs or career but dont feel you can.

12. Your job often leaves you feeling both mentally and physically tired.

13. You want to achieve more at work but things get in the way.

14. You dont get paid enough for what you do.

15. Your work is boring and repetitive.

16. You are looking for a job and cant find the one you want.

17. You have a lot of conflict with your partner.

18. Your relationship restricts your freedom.

19. Your partner doesnt understand you.

20. Your partner expects too much of you.

21. You dont get what you deserve out of your relationship.

22. Your partner doesnt show enough affection.

23. Your partner is not committed enough to your relationship.

24. Your sexual needs are not fulfilled by this relationship.

25. Your partner is always threatening to leave or end the relationship.

26. You wonder whether you will ever get married.

27. You find it is too difficult to find someone compatible with you.

28. You have a lot of conflict with your ex-spouse.

29. You dont see your children from a former marriage as much as you would like.

30. You are alone too much.

31. You wish you could have children but you cannot.

32. One of your children seems very unhappy.

33. You feel your children dont listen to you.

34. A childs behavior is a source of serious concern to you.

35. One or more children do not do well enough at school or work.

36. Your children dont help around the house.

37. One of your children spends too much time away from the house.

38. You feel like being a housewife is not appreciated.

39. You have to go to social events alone and you dont want to.

40. Your friends are a bad influence.

41. You dont have enough friends.

42. You dont have time for your favorite leisure time activities.

43. You want to live farther away from your family.

44. You would like to move but you cannot.

45. The place you live is too noisy or too polluted.

46. Your family lives too far away.

47. Someone in your family or a close friend has a long-term illness or handicap.

48. You have a parent, a child, or a spouse or partner who is in very bad health and may die.

49. Someone in your family has an alcohol or drug problem.

50. A long-term health problem prevents you from doing the things you like to do.

51. You take care of an aging parent almost every day.

Scoring:

The 51-item scale may be broken down into 13 subscales as shown in the table below. For each item, a response of not true = 0, somewhat true = 1, and very true = 2. Calculate the score from each individual subscale. Of the two methods to obtain an overall score, the first is to add up all very trues or very trues and somewhat trues. However, if a person does not have a particular role (e.g., parent), then the question is scored with a zero (see subscale table for universal vs. role-specific designations). The other method is to code the items as missing if a respondent is not in the role and therefore was not asked these questions, and then take the average of all subscales. The scores cannot simply be added up because the total is confounded by the number of roles the person is in and that is a proxy for social competence, therefore cutting across the point of the scale.

Subscale

Items

Universal or Role-Specific

General

1–3

All

Money and Finance

4–8

All

Work

9–15

Employed only

Nonemployment

16, 38

Nonemployed only

Love and Marriage

17–25

Relationship or Marriage

Nonrelationship

26–27

Never married/currently single

Divorce or Separation

28–29

Divorced or separated only

Isolation

30

All

Nonparent

31

Without Children

Parental/Family

32–37

Parents

Social Life

39–42

All

Residence

43–46

All

Health

47–51

All

Personnel and Training Required

The interviewer must be trained to conduct personal interviews with individuals from the general population. The interviewer must be trained and found to be competent (i.e., tested by an expert) at the completion of personal interviews. The interviewer should be trained to prompt respondents further if a "don’t know" response is provided.

Equipment Needs

These questions can be administered in a computerized or noncomputerized format (i.e., paper-and-pencil instrument). Computer software is necessary to develop computer-assisted instruments. A laptop computer/handheld computer will be needed to administer a computer-assisted questionnaire.

Requirements
Requirement CategoryRequired
Major equipment No
Specialized training No
Specialized requirements for biospecimen collection No
Average time of greater than 15 minutes in an unaffected individual No
Mode of Administration

Interviewer-administered questionnaire

Lifestage

Adult

Participants

Ages 18 years and older

Selection Rationale

The scale was developed to be a comprehensive listing of role-related stressors and long-term life problems tapping chronic stress.

Language

English

Standards
StandardNameIDSource
Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) Chronic stress proto 62942-8 LOINC
Human Phenotype Ontology Triggered by stress HP:0025226 HPO
caDSR Form PhenX PX181301 - Chronic Stress 6189714 caDSR Form
Derived Variables

None

Process and Review

Expert Review Panel 4 (ERP 4) reviewed the measures in the Neurology, Psychiatric, and Psychosocial domains.

Guidance from ERP 4 included the following:

  • No changes

Protocol Name from Source

The Chronic Stress Scale

Source

Turner, R. J., Wheaton, B., & Lloyd, D. A. (1995). The epidemiology of social stress. American Sociological Review, 60(1), 104-125.

General References

Wheaton, B. (1994). Sampling the stress universe. In W. Avison & I. Gotlib (Eds.), Stress and mental health: Contemporary issues and prospects for the future (pp. 77-114). New York: Plenum.

Wheaton, B. (1997). The nature of chronic stress. In B. Gottlieb (Ed.), Coping with chronic stress (pp. 43-74). New York: Plenum.

Protocol ID

181301

Variables
Export Variables
Variable Name Variable IDVariable DescriptiondbGaP Mapping
PX181301_Alone_Too_Much
PX181301300000 You are alone too much. N/A
PX181301_Cant_Find_Job_You_Want
PX181301160000 You are looking for a job and can't find the more
one you want. show less
N/A
PX181301_Children_Dont_Do_Well_Enough
PX181301350000 One or more children do not do well enough more
at school or work. show less
N/A
PX181301_Children_Dont_Help_Around_House
PX181301360000 Your children don't help around the house. N/A
PX181301_Children_Dont_Listen_To_You
PX181301330000 You feel your children don't listen to you. N/A
PX181301_Children_Spend_TooMuch_Time_Away
PX181301370000 One of your children spends too much time more
away from the house. show less
N/A
PX181301_Childs_Behavior_Source_Of_Concern
PX181301340000 A child's behavior is a source of serious more
concern to you. show less
N/A
PX181301_Conflict_With_Partner
PX181301170000 You have a lot of conflict with your partner. N/A
PX181301_Conflict_With_Your_Ex
PX181301280000 You have a lot of conflict with your ex-spouse. N/A
PX181301_Difficult_To_Find_Someone_Compatible
PX181301270000 You find it is too difficult to find someone more
compatible with you. show less
N/A
PX181301_Dont_Feel_Can_Change_Job
PX181301110000 You want to change jobs or career but don't more
feel you can. show less
N/A
PX181301_Dont_Get_Needs_From_Relationship
PX181301210000 You don't get what you deserve out of your more
relationship. show less
N/A
PX181301_Dont_Get_Paid_Enough
PX181301140000 You don't get paid enough for what you do. N/A
PX181301_Dont_Have_Enough_Friends
PX181301410000 You don't have enough friends. N/A
PX181301_Dont_See_Children_From_Marriage
PX181301290000 You don't see your children from a former more
marriage as much as you would like. show less
N/A
PX181301_Family/Friend_Has_Longterm_Illness/Handicap
PX181301470000 Someone in your family or a close friend has more
a long-term illness or handicap. show less
N/A
PX181301_Family_Lives_Too_Far_Away
PX181301460000 Your family lives too far away. N/A
PX181301_Family_Member_Alcohol/Drug_Problem
PX181301490000 Someone in your family has an alcohol or more
drug problem. show less
N/A
PX181301_Family_Member_May_Die
PX181301480000 You have a parent, a child, or a spouse or more
partner who is in very bad health and may die. show less
N/A
PX181301_Feel_Housewife_Not_Appreciated
PX181301380000 You feel like being a housewife is not more
appreciated. show less
N/A
PX181301_Friends_Are_Bad_Influence
PX181301400000 Your friends are a bad influence. N/A
PX181301_Go_To_Social_Events_Alone
PX181301390000 You have to go to social events alone and more
you don't want to. show less
N/A
PX181301_Health_Problem_Prevents_Activities
PX181301500000 A long- term health problem prevents you more
from doing the things you like to do. show less
N/A
PX181301_Job_Often_Leaves_You_Tired
PX181301120000 Your job often leaves you feeling both more
mentally and physically tired. show less
N/A
PX181301_Longterm_Debt_Or_Loan
PX181301050000 You have a long-term debt or loan. N/A
PX181301_More_Work_Than_Most_People
PX181301090000 You have more work to do than most people. N/A
PX181301_Not_Enough_Money_For_DownPayment
PX181301080000 You don't have enough money to make a down more
payment on a home. show less
N/A
PX181301_Not_Enough_Money_For_Needs
PX181301040000 You don't have enough money to buy the more
things you or your kids need. show less
N/A
PX181301_Not_Enough_Money_For_Vacations
PX181301070000 You don't have enough money to take vacations. N/A
PX181301_No_Time_Favorite_Leisure_Activities
PX181301420000 You don't have time for your favorite more
leisure time activities. show less
N/A
PX181301_One_Of_Children_Unhappy
PX181301320000 One of your children seems very unhappy. N/A
PX181301_Partner_Always_Threatening_To_Leave
PX181301250000 Your partner is always threatening to leave more
or end the relationship. show less
N/A
PX181301_Partner_Doesnt_Show_Enough_Affection
PX181301220000 Your partner doesn't show enough affection. N/A
PX181301_Partner_Doesnt_Understand_You
PX181301190000 Your partner doesn't understand you. N/A
PX181301_Partner_Expects_Too_Much
PX181301200000 Your partner expects too much of you. N/A
PX181301_Partner_Not_Committed_Enough
PX181301230000 Your partner is not committed enough to your more
relationship. show less
N/A
PX181301_Place_You_Live_Noisy_Polluted
PX181301450000 The place you live is too noisy or too polluted. N/A
PX181301_Pressure_To_Be_Like_Others
PX181301020000 There is too much pressure on you to be like more
other people. show less
N/A
PX181301_Relationship_Restricts_Your_Freedom
PX181301180000 Your relationship restricts your freedom. N/A
PX181301_Rent_Mortgage_Too_Much
PX181301060000 Your rent or mortgage is too much. N/A
PX181301_Sexual_Needs_Not_Fulfilled
PX181301240000 Your sexual needs are not fulfilled by this more
relationship. show less
N/A
PX181301_Supervisor_Always_Monitoring_You
PX181301100000 Your supervisor is always monitoring what more
you do at work. show less
N/A
PX181301_Take_Care_Aging_Parent
PX181301510000 You take care of an aging parent almost every day. N/A
PX181301_Too_Many_Things_At_Once
PX181301010000 You're trying to take on too many things at once. N/A
PX181301_Too_Much_Expected_By_Others
PX181301030000 Too much is expected of you by others. N/A
PX181301_Want_Achieve_More_At_Work
PX181301130000 You want to achieve more at work but things more
get in the way. show less
N/A
PX181301_Want_ToLive_Farther_From_Family
PX181301430000 You want to live farther away from your family. N/A
PX181301_Want_To_Move_But_Cannot
PX181301440000 You would like to move but you cannot. N/A
PX181301_Wish_You_Could_Have_Children
PX181301310000 You wish you could have children but you cannot. N/A
PX181301_Wonder_Whether_Ever_Get_Married
PX181301260000 You wonder whether you will ever get married. N/A
PX181301_Work_Is_Boring_And_Repetitive
PX181301150000 Your work is boring and repetitive. N/A
Psychosocial
Measure Name

Chronic Stress

Release Date

December 13, 2010

Definition

This measure is used to assess a person’s perception of ongoing and enduring sources of stress in his/her life conditions.

Purpose

Chronic or enduring stress is measured through self-reports of whether a set of stressful conditions describe the individual’s situation. Chronic stress, as well as more typical measures of current stress, have been shown to influence physical health, mental health, aging, use of health care services, and recovery outcomes (both for health and health care).

Keywords

Psychosocial, stress

Measure Protocols
Protocol ID Protocol Name
181301 Chronic Stress
Publications

Krebs, N. M., et al. (2016) Comparison of Puff Volume With Cigarettes per Day in Predicting Nicotine Uptake Among Daily Smokers. Am J Epidemiol. 2016 July; 184(1): 48-57. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwv341