{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]],"date-time":"2026-07-02T23:23:07Z","timestamp":1783034587654,"version":"3.54.6"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"Georg Thieme Verlag KG","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Perceived control has been recognized as a crucial factor in adapting to life stressors, yet validated instruments distinguishing primary and secondary control are scarce. This study aimed to validate the Perceived Control Short Scale \u2013 6 Items (PCSS-6) by examining its psychometric properties and associations with mental health outcomes.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>The PCSS-6 was back- and forward-translated and assessed in a representative German population sample (N=2,513). Item characteristics, internal consistency, factor structure, and measurement invariance (configural, metric and scalar) across gender, age, depressive and anxiety symptoms were examined. Association with sociodemographic and mental health variables were analyzed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>In total, the item-level completeness was 99.56%, and both subscales showed good internal consistency (McDonald\u2019s \u03c9: 0.87\u20130.94). The two-factor model distinguishing primary and secondary control demonstrated excellent fit and outperformed a one-factor model (p&lt;0.001). Full measurement invariance was supported across all tested groups. Higher levels of both primary and secondary control were associated with female gender, lower levels of depression and anxiety as well as suicidal ideation (all p&lt;0.001).<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>The findings support the theoretical distinction between primary and secondary control and demonstrate that the PCSS-6 provides reliable and comparable assessments across relevant population subgroups. The observed associations with mental health outcomes underscore the potential relevance of both control facets for mental health.<\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:p>The PCSS-6 is a nuanced, yet economic valid, and reliable instrument for assessing primary and secondary control. It offers a theory-consistent and efficient tool for future research examining control-related processes as protective factors in mental health.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1055\/a-2880-5484","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]],"date-time":"2026-07-02T23:09:38Z","timestamp":1783033778000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Psychometric Properties of the Perceived Control Short Scale (PCSS-6): Reliability, Factor Structure, and Measurement Invariance in a Representative Population Sample"],"prefix":"10.1055","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-6227-1912","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Judith","family":"Hirschmiller","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tamara","family":"Schwinn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"J\u00f6rg","family":"Wiltink","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"R\u00fcdiger","family":"Zwerenz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1743-0042","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manfred E.","family":"Beutel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2648-2728","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elmar","family":"Br\u00e4hler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany"},{"name":"Clinic and Polyclinic of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2459-0362","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gabriele Helga","family":"Franke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Psychology of Rehabilitation, Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Leon Julian","family":"Olivi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, University of Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt am W\u00f6rthersee, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mareike","family":"Ernst","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany"},{"name":"Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, University of Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt am W\u00f6rthersee, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"194","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.42.1.5","article-title":"Changing the world and changing the self: a two-process model of perceived control","volume":"42","author":"F Rothbaum","year":"1982","journal-title":"J Pers Soc Psychol"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1037\/a0017668","article-title":"A motivational theory of life-span development","volume":"117","author":"J Heckhausen","year":"2010","journal-title":"Psychol Rev"},{"key":"ref3","volume-title":"Stress, appraisal, and coping","author":"R S Lazarus","year":"1984"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"883","DOI":"10.1007\/s10802-010-9440-z","article-title":"Assessing secondary control and its association with youth depression 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