Age specificity in chronic stress: psychometric properties and factorial structure for higher age of the short version of the Trier Inventory of Chronic Stress.

BACKGROUND

There are many ways, tests, and questionnaires to measure chronic stress. One of them is the Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress (TICS). Meanwhile, there are three different forms of this particular questionnaire: the original version of the TICS with 57 items, the 12-item short screening scale of the TICS (Short Screening Scale for Chronic Stress, SSCS), and a newer short form with only 9 items.

METHODS

The TICS-9 was answered by N = 765 healthy participants aged 60 to 93 years. The sample was selected by random-route sampling. Confirmatory factor analyses applying Robust Maximum Likelihood estimations (MLM) tested model fit and factorial structure. Reliability estimations and norm values are reported.

RESULTS

Confirmatory factor analyses replicated the reported one-factor solution with acceptable to good model fit. Reliability was also good, resulting in McDonald's ω = 0.88.

CONCLUSION

The newest short form of the TICS, the TICS-9, can now also be used reliably in samples with elderly people. Its proposed one-factor structure could be factorially validated and resulted in good scale reliability. Norm values for an elderly sample are now available.