Perceived stress scale (PSS)
behavioral disorders
STRESSFUL EVENTS
PSS was developed in 1983 by Cohen et al. It has three versions of 4, 10, and 14 that are used to determine general perceived stress over the past month and measure thoughts, feelings, stressful events, and coping methods. This scale also assesses the risk factors of behavioral disorders and indicates the process of stressful relationships. In this research, a 14-item version was used. The scoring is based on the 5-point Likert scale. The minimum and maximum scores are 0 and 56, respectively. The cut-off point is 21.8; a higher score on this scale indicates more stress. Internal consistency and reliability coefficients were obtained through Cronbach’s alpha in the range of 0.84–0.86 in two groups of students and a group of smokers in the smoking cessation program [