OBJECTIVES: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, multisystem autoimmune disease characterized by periods of remission and recurrent flares, which have been associated with stress. Despite the significance of stress in this disease, the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) has yet to be psychometrically evaluated in patients with SLE.

METHODS: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to examine the structural validity of the PSS-10 among patients with SLE (N=138) receiving medical care at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was used to examine internal consistency reliability, and Pearson product-moment correlations were used to examine convergent validity with measures of anxiety, depression, helplessness, and disease activity.

RESULTS: EFA provided support for a two-factor structure (CFI = .95; SRMR = .04; RMSEA = .08). Internal consistency reliability was good for both factors (a = .84-.86). Convergent validity was evidenced via significant correlations with measures of anxiety, depression, and helplessness. There were no significant correlations with the measure of disease activity.

CONCLUSIONS: The PSS-10 can be used to examine perceived stress among patients with SLE.