Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Levenstein Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) in Ecuador

ObjectiveThis study aimed to adapt and validate Levensteins Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) within the Ecuadorian sociocultural context. The PSQ measures perceived stress across two temporal frames: general (past two years) and specific (past month). MethodsThe research followed five sequential phases. Study 1: linguistic and cultural adaptation through standardized translation, back-translation, expert review, and a pilot test with 300 participants. Study 2: item refinement with an additional sample of 300 participants. Study 3: Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with 395 participants. Study 4: Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) with 391 participants, complemented by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to evaluate factorial structure, internal consistency, and convergent and discriminant validity through correlational analyses. Study 5: multigroup factorial invariance analysis by biological sex. ResultsThe original questionnaire of 30 items across seven factors was refined for the Ecuadorian context into two versions: a General version with 21 items grouped into three factors, and a Specific version with 23 items distributed across four factors. Both versions demonstrated strong reliability, along with satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity. ConclusionsThe findings endorse the PSQ-593 as a reliable and culturally appropriate instrument for assessing perceived stress among Ecuadorian university faculty. Its validation contributes to a deeper understanding of stress as a psychological risk factor for mental health.