Psychometric properties of the Federal Unit Scale for general psychopathology screening without iatrogenic effects.

Mental health assessment tools play a crucial role in clinical practice, yet many existing scales risk exacerbating the conditions they aim to measure. This study introduces the Federal Unit Scale (FUS), a novel 5-item scale designed to assess a broad range of affect and traits capturing distress tolerance while minimizing potentially triggering language. The FUS was developed with a focus on combat veterans, frontline workers, and first responders.