The original PSS consists of 14 items, but there are also shorter versions with 10 and 4 items. The questions focus on how often respondents have felt stressed, upset, nervous, or unable to cope with important things in their lives. The scale also includes items that assess positive feelings and perceptions of control to balance the overall measure. The PSS score is calculated by reversing the scores of the positively stated items and then summing all the responses.
