Instrument

RAND

Available in English, Spanish.

Social Support; Social Environment; Adaptation; Psychological; Self Concept; Psychometrics; Attitude to Health; Depression; Patient Related Outcomes; Patient-Related Outcomes; PROs

Paper

Questionnaire, self-administered scale, subject answers 27 questions about whom they would turn to in a variety of situations and how satisfactory the support is

This brief, self-administered social support survey was developed for patients in the Medical Outcomes Study, a two-year study of patients with chronic conditions. It is easy to administer to chronically ill patients, and the items are short, simple, and easy to understand. It may also be appropriate for use with other populations. How to score the survey The survey consists of four separate social support subscales and an overall functional social support index. A higher score for an individual scale or for the overall support index indicates more support. * To obtain a score for each subscale, calculate the average of the scores for each item in the subscale. * To obtain an overall support index, calculate the average of (1) the scores for all 18 items included in the four subscales, and (2) the score for the one additional item (see last item in the survey).

Record reviewed and updated April 2004

Measures of Patient Adherence: RAND Medical Outcomes Study
Medical Outcomes Study: Measures of Quality of Life Core Survey from RAND Health
Mental Health Inventory: RAND Medical Outcomes Study
Sexual Problems Measures: RAND Medical Outcomes Study
Short-form 10 for Children
Short-form 12
Short-form 20
Short-form 36 version 2
Short-form 8
Sleep Scale: RAND Medical Outcomes Study

For more details about the survey and a discussion of its validity and reliability, see Sherbourne CD and Stewart AL. The MOS Social Support Survey, Soc Sci. Med. Vol 32, No. 6, 1991, pp 705-714.

Discussed in depth in McDowell, Ian and Claire Newell, Measuring Health: A guide to rating scales and questionnaires. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Emotional/Informational support; Tangible support; Affectionate support; Positive social interaction

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