[Instruments for assessing stress in Brazilians: an integrative review].

Abstract

Introduction: Numerous instruments have been developed around the world to assess stress. This study aimed to identify instruments with validation studies that mapping stress in Brazil.

Method: an integrative review was carried out on databases and the Testing System of the Federal Council of Psychology (SATEPSI) in June 2017 and updated this year. Two independent judges participated in analyzing the results.

Results: Of the 6,377 articles, 47 articles were selected from the Index Psi, SciELO, LILACS and PubMed databases, and 35 instruments made up the sample, two of which were from SATEPSI. Nine of these tools map stress in a more general way, nine are aimed at specific clinical contexts, 12 are aimed at occupational stress, three at the sports context and another two at other contexts.

Discussion: Numerous health problems are associated with early and chronic stressors, however it was identified that most instruments access stress in a more recent period of time (last year, month or week). A more accurate analysis of the relationships between longitudinal stress and health outcomes appears limited in this sense. The Stress and Adversity Inventory (STRAIN) appears as an alternative for studying stress throughout life in the Brazilian reality.