CHRONIC STRESS IN THE LIVES OF COLLEGE-STUDENTS - SCALE DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPECTIVE PREDICTION OF DISTRESS

This article reports the development of the 54-item College Chronic Li fe Stress Survey (CCLSS) and its use in prospective studies of the rel ationship between chronic stress and psychological distress in college students. Study I demonstrated the CCLSS's test-retest reliability an d concurrent validity (best friend corroboration of specific items). S tudy I also revealed differential endorsement of specific CCLSS items as a function of gender and year in college. Study 2 cross-sectional a nd prospective analyses showed that CCLSS chronic stress was a signifi cant predictor of distress. Study 3 cross-sectional analyses showed th at the CCLSS effects withstood the statistical control of neuroticism. The findings suggest the value of future research on chronic stress a nd demonstrate the utility of the CCLSS in studies with college studen ts.