Development of a Multidimensional Index for Assessing Social Support in Rehabilitation

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Abstract
Social support has been shown, in many instances, to moderate health outcomes after stress or strain. On the basis of the buffering hypothesis, which suggests that support acts to modify stress and therefore to diminish its impact on health (Turner, 1983), social support may be an important factor in the adjustment process that follows a major disabling illness or injury. Before social support can be used in rehabilitation, however, measurement tools are needed that explicitly define social support, assess support in a multidimensional way, and measure the unique support issues of persons with disabilities. This paper discusses the development and preliminary psychometric evaluation of such a measure. The instrument, called the Social Support Inventory for Stroke Survivors (SSISS), was developed specifically for use with stroke patients. With minor modifications, it can also be used with persons who have other disabilities. Research and clinical implications of the SSISS are discussed. Test–retest reliability of the SSISS over 1 week was established at .91. Internal consistency of the scaled version of the instrument was .85. Test construction procedures contributed to content and face validity, and empirical work supported construct and concurrent validity. Multidimensional scaling revealed an underlying structure that was consistent with the theoretical framework for the test.