PTSD Stressfulness Rating Scale Test

Understand which manufacturing or sales situations feel most stressful in about 7 minutes. Get clear, actionable insights to reduce strain, support well-being, and improve performance.

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Questions: 367 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

26,799 views

1,902 completions

1,575 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

10/42

Challenge Situation (CS)

Measures how stressful work situations feel when they demand substantial effort to overcome (e.g., urgent problems, conflicts, or technical issues).

Low stress

Moderate stress

High stress

6 – 17: Low stress | 18 – 29: Moderate stress | 30 – 42: High stress

A score of 10 falls in the Low stress range, suggesting challenge situations are currently perceived as relatively manageable and not strongly strain-inducing.

example score

25/42

Threat of Loss Situation (ToLS)

Measures how strongly you experience stress in work situations involving a potential loss (e.g., resources, status, or results).

Low sensitivity

Moderate sensitivity

High sensitivity

6 – 17: Low sensitivity | 18 – 29: Moderate sensitivity | 30 – 42: High sensitivity

A score of 25 falls in the Moderate sensitivity range, suggesting a noticeable but not extreme stress response to situations where losses may occur.

example score

30/42

Loss Situation (LS)

Measures how stressful situations involving loss of time, resources, or material assets feel to the individual at work.

Low

Moderate

High

6 – 17: Low | 18 – 29: Moderate | 30 – 42: High

A score of 30 falls in the High range, indicating that loss-related events are associated with a marked level of perceived stress for this person.

example score

19/42

Uncertainty (U)

Measures how unpredictable and open-ended a work situation feels, affecting how easily outcomes can be anticipated.

Low uncertainty

Moderate uncertainty

High uncertainty

6 – 17: Low uncertainty | 18 – 29: Moderate uncertainty | 30 – 42: High uncertainty

A score of 19 indicates moderate uncertainty, suggesting situations are sometimes hard to forecast but still have some predictable structure.

example score

23/42

Productivity (P)

This scale measures the internal resources a person can draw on to cope effectively with work-related stressors.

Low resources

Moderate resources

High resources

6 – 17: Low resources | 18 – 30: Moderate resources | 31 – 42: High resources

A score of 23 falls in the Moderate resources range, suggesting a fair capacity to manage stressful situations with some variability depending on the demands.

example score

28/42

Uncontrollability (U)

Measures how uncertain a person feels about having enough control and resources to manage stressful work situations.

Low uncontrollability

Moderate uncontrollability

High uncontrollability

6 – 17: Low uncontrollability | 18 – 29: Moderate uncontrollability | 30 – 42: High uncontrollability

A score of 28 indicates moderate uncontrollability, suggesting a notable but not extreme sense that the situation may be hard to influence or manage.

example score

29/42

Personal Significance (PS)

Measures how important a work situation is perceived to be for the individual’s future.

Low significance

Moderate significance

High significance

6 – 17: Low significance | 18 – 29: Moderate significance | 30 – 42: High significance

A score of 29 indicates the situation is viewed as moderately significant, suggesting it matters to future outcomes but is not experienced as highly pivotal.

example score

30/42

Emotional Tension (ET)

This scale measures how much emotional strain a person feels and how limited their internal coping resources seem in stressful work situations.

Low tension

Moderate tension

High tension

6 – 17: Low tension | 18 – 29: Moderate tension | 30 – 42: High tension

A score of 30 indicates high emotional tension, suggesting the situation is experienced as strongly taxing with fewer perceived coping resources available.

example score

33/42

Recurrence (R)

Measures how frequently stressful work situations recur over time.

Low repetition

Moderate repetition

High repetition

6 – 17: Low repetition | 18 – 29: Moderate repetition | 30 – 42: High repetition

A score of 33 indicates high repetition, suggesting stressful situations are occurring frequently and may accumulate impact over time.

example score

13/42

Overall Stressfulness Index (OSI)

Measures the average perceived stressfulness of typical workplace situations to indicate overall vulnerability versus resilience to stress.

Low stress sensitivity

Moderate stress sensitivity

High stress sensitivity

6 – 17: Low stress sensitivity | 18 – 29: Moderate stress sensitivity | 30 – 42: High stress sensitivity

A score of 13 falls in the Low stress sensitivity range, suggesting you generally perceive common work situations as less stressful than most.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Shop Floor Employees

41%OF USERS

Operators, technicians, and line workers take it to pinpoint which daily production pressures, safety demands, and technical issues trigger the most stress.

Sales and Account Staff

34%OF USERS

Sales reps and account managers use it to rate how deadlines, customer conflict, targets, and constant communication affect their stress levels.

Team Leads and HR

25%OF USERS

Supervisors, HR, and workplace psychologists take it to map team stress hotspots and decide where to adjust workload, processes, or support.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.

Practical
Recommendations

You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Powered
Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Therapist

Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

The “call” situation (T“s)

Average

17.3

Normal range

11.4 — 23.2

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

"Threat of Loss" Situation ("oLS)

Average

26.6

Normal range

20 — 33.2

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

The "Loss" Situation (T"S)

Average

19.1

Normal range

14.4 — 23.8

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Uncertainty (U)

Average

22.6

Normal range

16.3 — 28.9

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Productivity (P)

Average

27.6

Normal range

22.1 — 33.2

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Uncontrollability (U)

Average

19.4

Normal range

14.2 — 24.6

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Personal significance (Ps)

Average

Normal range

27.5 — 36.6

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Emotional tension (Et)

Average

20.9

Normal range

15.9 — 25.9

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Repetitiveness (R)

Average

16.1

Normal range

11.3 — 20.8

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Overall Stress Index (OSI)

Average

26.5

Normal range

20.5 — 32.4

min.

max.

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this scale measure?

It measures how stressful common work situations feel in trade and production roles. It focuses on typical professionally demanding situations such as time pressure, conflict, and operational disruptions.

How long does it take to complete?

Estimated completion time is about 7 minutes. The questionnaire includes 36 items.

How should items be rated?

Each item should be rated based on the perceived level of strain it would cause in the described situation. Responses should reflect typical impact rather than rare extreme events.

What do the results indicate?

Results identify which types of situations are rated as most stressful. The pattern can guide targeted changes to reduce strain and support work performance.

Is this a diagnostic assessment?

No, it is a screening tool for perceived stressfulness of work situations. It does not diagnose mental health conditions and should be interpreted alongside other information when needed.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

PTSD Stressfulness Rating Scale Test - Symptoms and Signs

arrange work stress

In occupational and organizational settings, clinicians may use the PTSD Stressfulness Rating Scale to quantify how stressful common work situations are perceived to be. Developed by Edna B. Foa, it supports structured appraisal of stress-provoking events relevant to routine professional demands.

The measure consists of 36 items and typically requires about 7 minutes to complete. Respondents rate the stressfulness of a range of potential workplace stressors (e.g., time pressure, interpersonal friction, operational disruptions). Scores can help identify the situations associated with the highest perceived strain, informing targeted intervention planning, consultation, and monitoring; the PTSD Stressfulness Rating Scale is not a stand-alone diagnostic instrument.

Author: Edna B. Foa

Literature: Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer. 1984.

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