Short communication: User friendly and 'useworthy' Stress Barometer

The Stress Barometer, which includes stress symptoms, stress types, relationship stress and time stress, was developed as an easy-to-use instrument which provides a visual representation of the stress an individual is experiencing. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability, validity and usefulness of the Stress Barometer. Reliability was tested using a test-retest procedure on 23 pain patients on long-term sick leave. To assess validity, the results of the instrument were compared to the results of the SF-36 Health Survey, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire administered to 112 pain and/or emotional exhaustion syndrome patients on long-term sick leave. Fifty directors who participated in a management leadership course focusing on stress also completed and evaluated the instrument. Reliability was high for most of the subscales included. The results of the validity test showed that the Stress Barometer correlates with the respondents' perceived experience of a variety of health aspects such as anxiety, depression as well as different aspects of burnout/emotional exhaustion. The Stress Barometer is quick to complete and it offers immediate feedback. The study demonstrates that the Stress Barometer is also usable and useworthy. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.