Abstract
This research outlines the initial validation of a new instrument to quantify academic stress, the Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents (ESSA). A total of 399 students (61.9% females, 38.1% males), with a mean age of 16.3 years, participated in the research protocol. Cronbach's α for the total 16-item ESSA scale was 0.878, suggesting good reliability. Cronbach's α for each one of the five components were statistically positively significant. The Greek version of the Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents (ESSA) can be utilized as a valid tool to measure the perceived educational stress in adolescents.