Development and Validation of Psychosocial Immunity Scale for Job Professionals

Abstract

Background: In the context of increasing occupational stress and burnout, the need for comprehensive assessment tools that capture both psychological resilience and social coping mechanisms has become critical. Existing scales often address these domains in isolation, failing to account for their dynamic interaction in shaping professional well-being and performance. Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate the Psychosocial Immunity Scale for Job Professionals (PSIS), designed to assess the dual dimensions of psychological and social immunity in the workplace, with the goal of identifying protective factors against burnout and stress-related dysfunction. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted across multiple professional sectors in urban Pakistan. A total of 153 participants were recruited for Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), followed by 238 participants for Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Inclusion criteria included adults aged ≥18 years with at least one year of continuous job experience; those with known psychiatric illness were excluded. Items were generated via systematic literature review and validated by subject matter experts. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v26 and AMOS v28, evaluating construct validity, internal consistency, and model fit. Ethical approval was granted by the GIFT University IRB in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration. Results: EFA revealed a two-factor structure (psychological and social immunity) with 16 retained items, explaining 50.5% variance (KMO=0.82, α=0.817). CFA confirmed model fit with CFI=0.936, TLI=0.925, RMSEA=0.056. PSIS scores showed positive correlations with cognitive crafting (r=0.46) and flow state (r=0.53), and negative correlation with work-life imbalance (r=–0.34), all statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion: The PSIS is a valid, reliable tool for assessing psychosocial resilience among professionals. Its application can enhance early identification of stress vulnerability and support evidence-based interventions in occupational health and mental well-being.