A CONSTRUCTION AND VALIDATION OF A FRESHMAN STRESS QUESTIONNAIRE: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

A stress questionnaire for freshmen was developed and administered to 1,102 French students at the beginning of the term (T1). A Principal Component Analysis of responses, followed by varimax and oblique rotations, yielded four factors accounting for 58% of the total variance. Factors were identified as academic stress, university's dysfunctions, feelings of loneliness, and problems with close relations. Associations were observed between scores on these factors and on personal variables measured at the same time (T1), namely, neuroticism, self-esteem, and two coping strategies, as well as variables measured at the end of the term (T2), depressive symptoms, eating disorders, somatic symptoms, and life satisfaction.