Evidências psicométricas da escala de percepção do estresse acadêmico

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric evidence of the Brazilian version of the Perception of Academic Stress Scale (PAS). A total of 511 university students participated in the research, with an average age of 22.2 years, and the majority were female (66%). They responded to the PAS scale, questions about external academic routine variables, and demographic questions. The results indicated that academic stress is best represented through its multifactorial structure [χ² = 458.646 (p < 0.001); χ²/df = 3.55; CFI = 0.91; TLI = 0.90; RMSEA = 0.07 (90% CI = 0.064 - 0.078)], with internal consistency coefficients ranged from ω = 0.59 (pressures to perform) to ω = 0.70 (academic self-perceptions). The significant correlations between the four factors of the instrument with academic satisfaction and dropout probability underscore the importance of these dimensions in assessing stress-related aspects in students' daily lives. However, the factors pressures to perform (ω = 0.59), time restraints (ω = 0.65), and perceptions of workload (ω = 0.66) showed lower internal consistency indices, suggesting the need for scale refinement.. The study highlights the importance of institutional interventions focused on support programs for stress management and continuous monitoring of academic demands to improve student satisfaction and retention. It is concluded that the use of the PAS is promising, but it still needs adjustments to more accurately cover all aspects of academic stress.