Factor structure of the Mental Health Professionals Stress Scale (MHPSS) among clinical psychologists in India.

Abstract

This study examined the factor structure of the Mental Health Professionals Stress Scale (MHPSS) and its reliability and validity in a sample of 116 clinical psychologists in India. Principal component analysis of the MHPSS identified four factors that accounted for 42.2% of the total variance. These 4 factors reflected 6 of the 7 original subscales. The subscale 'Client-related difficulties' did not emerge as a distinct factor. The authors attribute this to cultural differences in the therapist-patient relationship. The MHPSS correlated negatively with measures of professional role satisfaction and subjective well being. It was concluded that the MHPSS is a reliable and valid tool to measure sources of occupational stress experienced by mental health professionals.