The brief daily stressors screening tool: An introduction and evaluation

Abstract

The present study introduces a short screening instrument for the measurement of experienced general daily stressors across different life domains that can be used in large-scale studies. The brief daily stressors screening tool (BDSST) assesses the experience of general daily stressors in eight distinct life domains. General daily stressors are indicated for the past 12-months on a five-point Likert scale. The present study evaluates the BDSST in two successive studies. The first study was conducted in a representative German sample (n = 7,849). The second study was conducted to assess one-month-retest-stability in another representative German sample (n = 1,294). The BDSST shows promising psychometric properties. It has a skewed positive distribution, internal consistency and stability are acceptable and its one-factor structure was confirmed in a bifactor confirmatory factor analysis. The BDSST is a reliable and valid short instrument for the assessment of experienced general daily stressors in large-scale studies and routine clinical practise. For in-depth clinical assessment, it can be used to identify relevant life domains for further investigation.