Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Version of the University Student Stressors Questionnaire (USSQ): Structure, Reliability, Validity, and Measurement Invariance

The scarcity of psychometrically robust instruments limits the assessment of academic stressors among Spanish university students. This study aimed to adapt the University Student Stressors Questionnaire (USSQ) to the Spanish context and evaluate its psychometric properties in a sample of undergraduate and postgraduate students. An instrumental, cross-sectional census survey design was used to evaluate the psychometric properties of the instrument. A total of 4925 students from a Spanish public university participated. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, measurement invariance analyses (by sex, gender, and study level), and convergent validity analyses with measures of depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS-21) and psychological well-being (Ryff’s PWB) were conducted. The final 27-item, seven-factor model demonstrated optimal fit and adequate reliability (McDonald’s omega: 0.73–0.89). Partial measurement invariance was achieved for sex and gender, and full invariance for study level. Convergent validity was supported through positive correlations with psychological distress and negative correlations with well-being. The University Student Stressors Questionnaire (USSQ) is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing academic stressors in the Spanish university population. “Fear of failure” emerges as the most prominent factor associated with psychological distress.