The development of a measure of social support: the Significant Others (SOS) Scale

Br J Clin Psychol. 1988 Nov;27(4):349-58. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1988.tb00799.x.

Abstract

A description is presented of the development of a new scale to measure social support which is called the Significant Others (SOS) Scale. The scale measures different functional resources of social support that may be provided by a number of significant role relationships within an individual's social network. Preliminary results from a sample of mature students show that the scale has good six-month test-retest reliability, and significantly distinguishes between depressed and non-depressed respondents. Details of a short form of the scale currently being developed are also presented.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis
  • Family
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Psychometrics
  • Social Environment*
  • Social Support*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires