The Development and Psychometric Validation of the Brief Disability-Related Stress Scale in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Disability-related stress is the unique stressful experiences and challenges people with disabilities encounter. The goal of the study was to develop and validate the Brief Disability-Related Stress Scale (BDRSS) in a sample of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Findings demonstrated that the BDRSS is unidimensional and has good psychometric properties (internal consistency reliability coefficient [Cronbach’s α = .86]). The BDRSS was also found to correlate with the Perceived Stress Scale–10 (PSS-10; r = .69). Results of this study suggested the potential clinical utility of incorporating the BDRSS in rehabilitation, mental health, and neuropsychology settings to assess stressors experienced by people with MS.