Abstract
This study aimed to develop and validate the Academic Psychological Distress Scale (APDS) to assess psychological distress in university students across multiple domains. Two student samples (N = 310 for exploratory factor analysis, EFA; N = 367 for confirmatory factor analysis, CFA) completed the preliminary scale alongside measures of academic and general psychological distress. EFA identified a 6-factor structure with 37 items, reduced to 25 items after CFA. The factors included academic anxiety, stress somatic responses, loneliness, negative self-worth, fatigue, and demoralization, with an excellent model fit (χ2/df = 2.31; RMSEA = .06 [CIs = .05, .06]; CFI = .94; TLI = .93; SRMR = .04). Furthermore, the APDS demonstrated evidence of convergent, discriminant, and construct validity, showing correlations with psychological distress, academic stress, and academic engagement and performance. Despite methodological and sample-related limitations, the APDS offers a reliable, multidimensional tool for assessing academic distress, supporting targeted interventions for university students.
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