Estrés académico, proceso multifactorial complejo que alcanza sus grados más elevados a nivel universitario y que para realizar intervenciones efectivas, necesita de instrumentos válidos y fiables para medirlo. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de una versión adaptada del inventario SISCO del estrés académico, denominada SISCO-II, destinada a medir estrés académico en estudiantes universitarios. Se aplicó el instrumento a 1.126 estudiantes universitarios de tres universidades chilenas. El análisis factorial confirmatorio mostró buen ajuste a la estructura propuesta de cuatro factores (Estresores, Reacciones físicas y psicológicas, Reacciones del comportamiento social y Afrontamiento). La medida de estrés académico queda constituida por estresores, reacción total (Reacciones físicas, psicológicas y del comportamiento social) y estrategias de afrontamiento. Los resultados avalan la utilidad de SISCO-II para uso diagnóstico y evaluación de intervenciones, siendo una escala válida y confiable.

Introduction Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is essential for brain physiological processes influencing memory and learning. BDNF levels can be affected by many factors, including stress. Stress increase serum and salivary cortisol levels. Academic stress is of the chronic type. BDNF levels can be measure from serum, plasma or platelets, and there is still no standard methodology, which is relevant to ensure reproducibility and comparability between studies. Hypothesis (i) BDNF concentrations in serum show greater variability than in plasma. (ii) In college students with academic stress, peripheral BDNF decreases and salivary cortisol increases. General objective To standardize plasma and serum collection for BDNF levels and to determine whether academic stress affects peripheral BDNF and salivary cortisol levels. Design Quantitative research, with a non-experimental cross-sectional descriptive design. Participants Student volunteers. Under convenience sampling, 20 individuals will be included for standardization of plasma and serum collection and between 70 and 80 individuals to determine the effect of academic stress on BDNF and salivary cortisol. Peripheral blood and salivary cortisol sampling, measurements 12 mL of peripheral blood (with and without anticoagulant) will be drawn per participant, separated from plasma or serum and cryopreserved at -80°C. Additionally, they will be instructed in the collection of 1 mL of saliva samples, which will be centrifuged. Val66Met polymorphism will be performed by allele-specific PCR, while BDNF and salivary cortisol levels will be determined by ELISA. Statistical analysis (i) descriptive analysis of the variables, through measures of central tendency and dispersion, and the categorical variables through their frequency and percentage. (ii) Then a bivariate analysis will be performed comparing groups using each variable separately. Expected results We expect to (i) determine the analytical factors that allow a better reproducibility in the measurement of peripheral BDNF, and (ii) the effect of academic stress on BDNF and salivary cortisol levels.

Higher education represents the peak of academic stress, a complex multifactorial process with a high workload. The SISCO academic stress inventory has good psychometric properties for its subscales Stressors, Symptomatology and for the whole instrument, but not for the Coping subscale. The aim of this paper is to corroborate previous reports based on a full psychometric analysis. In 1126 university students, good psychometric properties were obtained for the Stressors and Symptomatology subscales, with a good fit in the confirmatory factor analysis, based on a four-factor structure. The Symptomatology subscale consisted of the subscales Physical and Psychological Reactions and Social Behavioural Reactions. The Coping subscale maintains poor psychometric properties. The complete scale score shows good psychometric properties (Cronbach's alpha and omega of 0.820 and 0.860, respectively). This corroborates previous reports and supports the need for further study and modification of the instrument, especially the Coping subscale.