4. Stress scales reported by trials.
| Scale | Number of items | Score for each item1 | Total score | Interpretation | Description2 | Trials |
| Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (Cohen 1983) | 10 | 0 (never) to 4 (very often) | 0 to 40 | Higher scores indicate higher perceived stress | Participants rate the frequency of stress related thoughts and feelings in the preceding 4 weeks | Chesney 2003; Bormann 2006; Duncan 2012 |
| Dealing with Illness Scale ‐ Stress subscale (DIS) (McCain 1992) | Unclear | Unclear | Unclear | Higher scores reflect higher stress | Participants rate the desirability or undesirability and personal impact of experienced events | McCain 2003 |
| HIV‐Related Life‐Stress Scale (Sikkema 2000) | 19 | 1 (not a problem) to 5 (most serious problem) | 1 to 5 | Higher scores indicate higher stress | Participants rate the severity of each HIV‐related potential stressor | Heckman 2007 |
| Life Experiences Survey (LES) (Sarason 1978) | 10 | 0 (not at all stressed) to 3 (extremely stressful) | 0 to 3 | 0 = not at all stressed 1 = mildly stressed 2 = moderately stressed 3 = extremely stressed |
Participants rate the extent to which an event commonly experienced by HIV‐positive women had been stressful | Antoni 2008 (a 10‐item abbreviated version) |
| Impact of Event Scale (IES) (Horowitz 1979) |
15 | 0 (not at all) to 4 (often) | 0 to 75 | Higher scores indicate higher impact | Participants rate the frequency of intrusive or avoidant thoughts and experiences over the preceding 7 to 28 days (the authors describe this scale as measuring 'psychological distress' or 'traumatic stress') | McCain 2003; Gayner 2012; Sikkema 2013 |
1The exact responses may vary between items. 2The descriptions in this table represent our best understanding of the scale derived from the description provided by the included studies and other information available through Internet searches. The exact scale used in the trials may have differed.