The Stress and Adversity Inventory for Adults (Adult STRAIN) in Korean: Psychometric Properties and Associations with Psychiatric Disorders

Background: /Objectives: Stressors occurring across the life course are considered to have a cumulative impact on health, but there is no instrument for assessing lifetime stressor exposure in Korea. Therefore, we validated the Stress and Adversity Inventory (Adult STRAIN) in Korean. Methods: We translated the Adult STRAIN into Korean and examined its concurrent, predictive, and discriminate validity in 218 Korean adults (79 men, 139 women; Mage=29.5; 19–50 years old) recruited from a psychiatric setting. We assessed concurrent validity using Pearson’s correlations, predictive validity using multiple regression models, and discriminant validity using multivariate logistic regression to identify participants with lifetime psychiatric diagnoses. Results: The Korean STRAIN exhibited exceptional usability and acceptability; excellent concurrent validity with other measures of early adversity, life events, and perceived stress (rs=0.477–0.614); and strong predictive validity in relation to anxiety and depressive symptoms (β=0.08–0.47; ΔR2=0.109–0.206). The Korean STRAIN also significantly discriminated participants with psychiatric disorder based on stressor exposure timing, type, life domains, and social-psychological characteristics (odds ratios=1.20–4.85). Finally, the test–retest reliability for total lifetime stressor count and severity over four weeks was outstanding. Conclusions: The Korean STRAIN is a practical, valid, and reliable instrument for researchers and clinicians to efficiently assess lifetime stressor exposure.