Perceived stress in anxiety disorders and the general population: a study of the Sheehan stress vulnerability scale.

The objectives of this study were to (1) validate and establish normative values for a single-item, self-rated measure of perceived stress, the Stress Vulnerability Scale (SVS); and (2) compare levels of perceived stress in patients with anxiety disorders with the general population. The sample was drawn from the general population (n=630) and from participants in pharmacotherapy trials of anxiety disorders (social phobia, n=127; posttraumatic stress disorder, n=116). The SVS was administered at baseline in all groups and following treatment in the placebo-controlled clinical trial samples. The SVS demonstrated good reliability and validity. Pretreatment scores in the anxiety disorders were significantly greater than in the general population. Perceptions of vulnerability to the effects of daily stress are considerably greater in anxiety disorders compared to the general population and also differ within the anxiety disorders.