Validation of the Questionnaire on Psychosocial Risks, Well-Being, and Health at Work (QRBEST)

Psychosocial risks at work (PRW) are major determinants of workers’ well-being and health, yet comprehensive, accessible, and scientifically rigorous instruments to assess both PRW and related outcomes remain limited. This study introduces the open-access Questionnaire on Psychosocial Risks, Well-being, and Health at Work (QRBEST; Questionnaire sur les Risques psychosociaux, le Bien-Être et la Santé au Travail), developed and validated through a three-phase process including 1) questionnaire development, 2) item and scale refinement, and 3) psychometric evaluation. The French version of the questionnaire was administered to three heterogeneous samples: a population-based panel representative of Québec’s working population (n = 3000), healthcare workers (n = 708), and workers from eight small and medium-sized enterprises (n = 705). The resulting questionnaire comprises 127 items assessing 26 PRW alongside 12 indicators of well-being, health, and productivity and activity impairment. A psychometric evaluation—including analyses of internal consistency, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, test-retest reliability, concurrent criterion-related validity, and discriminant validity—indicated that all assessed properties ranged from adequate to excellent. Findings support the QRBEST as a reliable instrument for assessing PRW and associated outcomes across diverse organizational contexts, offering researchers and practitioners a decision-support tool to guide risk assessment and inform PRW prevention and intervention efforts.