Page No 43-49
Sandhya Cherkil Seby J Gardens Deepak Kuttikattu Soman
Consultant, Aster Medcity, Mahi Institute of Dental Services & Government Medical College
Cochin, Kerala. Hospital, Mahi, Kerala. Palakkad, Kerala.
Despite the understanding that medical undergraduates face stress in relation with their
course, there are not many tools specific to Indian culture that measure stress along
with its sources and severity. This study aims to validate an indigenously developed tool,
Sources and Severity of Stress Scale (S3S) which assess the sources and severity of
stress faced amongst the medical and dental students (n=518). Medical Students’ Stress
Questionnaire was used to establish criterion validity and WHO Quality of Life BREF
Scale was used to find the construct validity. S3S showed very high internal consistency
(Cronbach’s alpha = 0.95, P< 0.001), and the criterion validity was established (r=0.84,
P<0.001). Inter-domain correlation for construct validity showed alpha values greater
than 0.7, and inter-domain correlation for content validity ranged between 0.36 to
0.68, P<0.05. It was concluded that the Sources and Severity of Stress Scale is a
psychometrically sound tool with very high internal consistency, as its criterion validity
and inter-domain construct validity is fit to be used with the target population.