Social Support Scale

What is a Social Support Scale?

A Social Support Scale is a scientifically developed tool designed to measure the degree of social support an individual perceives they have in their life. The scale explores various facets of support, including emotional, informational, or tangible assistance derived from diverse relationships like family, friends, partners, or a specific special person to the respondent.

For instance, the widely recognized Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) assesses an individual’s subjective sense of social support and connectivity. The results drawn from these scales can play a vital role in understanding a person’s well-being and mental health status. Hence, they’re increasingly incorporated into electronic health records, especially because it has good internal consistency. The psychometric properties of the MSPSS, including its good internal and test-retest reliability, good validity, and stable factorial structure, are well-supported by various studies and literature sources.

In a clinical context, these scales are often used alongside other assessment tools to create holistic patient profiles, offering a more nuanced view of a patient’s social environment and its potential impacts on their health.

A typical Social Support Scale comprises various statements to which the respondent reacts, providing deep insights into their social support network’s quality, intensity, and perceived availability. A Social Support Scale helps healthcare providers better understand the complexities of a person’s social circumstances, thus enabling them to provide more tailored and effective care.

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How does it work?

The Social Support Scale is a self-report measure used to assess the perceived social support an individual believes they have. The process of using the scale involves several straightforward steps:

Step 1: Selection of the scale

When assessing perceived social support, the initial step involves choosing a suitable Social Support Scale. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) is a commonly used choice, although other options may be selected based on specific contexts or requirements.

Step 2: Familiarization with the statements

Each Social Support Scale consists of various statements related to perceived social support. For example, the MSPSS includes phrases like "My family tries to help me." Familiarization with these statements is crucial for accurate responses.

Step 3: Responding to the statements

Participants are asked to respond to each statement using a Likert scale ranging from 'very strongly disagree' to 'very strongly agree.' This method allows individuals to express their agreement or disagreement with each statement.

Step 4: Scoring the responses

Once all responses are gathered, they are scored according to the scale's guidelines. Generally, higher scores denote a higher level of perceived social support, which may correlate with greater resilience and better mental health outcomes.

When would you use this template?

Social Support Scales, including the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), are frequently used in various professional settings, particularly those focusing on mental health and well-being. Mental health practitioners, social workers, and researchers keen on studying the significance of social relationships in influencing health outcomes employ these scales.

Routine mental health check-ups often incorporate Social Support Scales to monitor a patient’s perceived social support over time. High levels of perceived social support are associated with low levels of depression and anxiety symptomatology as measured by specific symptom checklists.

Furthermore, the scales are valuable during comprehensive psychosocial evaluations. In these instances, the scales provide data on the individual’s perceived social support, enriching the overall context of their psychological assessment. This data assists clinicians in developing a more holistic understanding of their patient’s lives and tailoring their therapeutic approaches accordingly.

Ultimately, the versatility of the Social Support Scale makes it an indispensable tool for anyone seeking to comprehend the depth and breadth of an individual’s social support network, thus enhancing the effectiveness of their intervention strategies.

Benefits

Here are some benefits of using our free Social Support Scale:

• Comprehensive assessment: the Free Social Support Scales provide a comprehensive look at the various sources of support in an individual's life.
• Easy to use: These Free Social Support Scales are typically easy to administer and interpret, making them user-friendly for professionals and participants.
• Clinically relevant: Our Free Social Support Scales provide relevant information that can inform treatment planning and interventions.
• Proven efficacy: Several studies have demonstrated their reliability and validity.
• Accessibility: Free versions of the Social Support Scale are available online, like here at Carepatron.

The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS)

Earlier, we've mentioned the MSPSS a couple of times. This tool comes in the form of a 12-item assessment. Each item is a statement about social support. Here are the items:

• There is a special person who is around when I am in need.
• There is a special person with whom I can share my joys and sorrows.
• My family really tries to help me.
• I get the emotional help and support I need from my family.
• I have a special person who is a real source of comfort to me.
• My friends really try to help me.
• I can count on my friends when things go wrong.
• I can talk about my problems with my family.
• I have friends with whom I can share my joys and sorrows.
• There is a special person in my life who cares about my feelings.
• My family is willing to help me make decisions.
• I can talk about my problems with my friends.

Those engaging with the sheet will only have to rate themselves based on the social support they believe they’re getting from these people. Here are the rating choices:

• 1: Very strongly disagree
• 2: Strongly disagree
• 3: Mildly disagree
• 4: Neutral
• 5: Mildly agree
• 6: Strongly agree
• 7: Very strongly disagree

This assessment zooms into three sources of social support that respondents may or may not have. Given this, it is divided into three subscales:

• Items 1, 2, 5, and 7 are statements about getting social support from a significant other.
• Items 3, 4, 8, and 11 are statements about getting social support from family.
• Items 6, 7, 9, and 12 are statements about getting social support from friends.

After receiving fully accomplished copies, social workers and related professionals only need to add the scores and refer to these score ranges:

• 12 to 35: Low levels of perceived support
• 36 to 60: Medium levels of perceived support
• 61 to 84: High levels of perceived support

Other tests, like a personality assessment, should be conducted to determine why a person's feelings and perceived social support are the way they are.

You can also improve client outcomes with the Care Plan Template and the Social Support Questionnaire Template. These templates help in creating detailed and actionable strategies for client care, and assess the level of support clients have, which is crucial for their overall well-being.