Work-related stress assessment in a population of Italian workers. The Stress Questionnaire

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 502; pp. 673 - 679
• Main Authors: Mucci, Nicola, Giorgi, Gabriele, Cupelli, Vincenzo, Gioffrè, Pier Agostino, Rosati, Maria Valeria, Tomei, Francesco, Tomei, Gianfranco, Breso-Esteve, Edgar, Arcangeli, Giulio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.01.2015
• Subjects: Adult; Assessments; Company structure; Demographic variables; Female; Humans; Italian workers; Italy - epidemiology; Male; Occupational Health - statistics & numerical data; Psychosocial risk scale; Response bias; Risk; Stress Questionnaire; Stress, Psychological - epidemiology; Stresses; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; Work-related stress assessment; Workplace - psychology; Workplaces; Italy; Psychosocial risk scale; Italian workers; Work-related stress assessment; Stress Questionnaire
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.09.069

The present study shows detailed information about the reliability and validity of the psychosocial risk scale included in the Stress Questionnaire (SQ) developed by our research group. The primary purpose of this work is to test the factor structure of the psychosocial risk scale through a first-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using a large pooled dataset obtained from a population of 2026 employees of 15 Italian medium–large companies. Data were collected by a team of researchers who examined demographic variables, work-related stress, workplace bullying, mental health and other constructs. In addition to these substantive issues, the survey was designed to better understand response bias. After the evaluation of the results we conclude that the psychosocial risk scale reported a satisfactory reliability and validity. In addition, it allowed a careful measurement of work related stress, considering both leader's and follower's perspectives. •Work-related stress is an issue explicitly considered in the European legislation.•We found only little scientific evidences to support check-lists of stress at work.•Consequently, we developed a process to help the management of work-related stress.•We show information about reliability and validity of the psychosocial risk scale.