Dimensions of social support in the MSPSS: Factorial structure, reliability, and theoretical implications

Abstract

The psychometric and factor-analytic properties of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were investigated in an undergraduate university student sample and an adolescent inpatient psychiatric sample. Three factors were extracted from each sample and were comparable to those described by the originators of the scale. Reliability, concurrent validity, and construct validity estimates are also reported. The scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency in both samples. In terms of validity, the MSPSS correlated strongly with the Social Support Behaviors scale and showed little relationship to social desirability. As predicted, scores from the MSPSS correlated negatively with two separate measures of depression and positively with a self-concept measure. However, the strength of relationships between severity of depression and social support subscales differed between the two samples. The implications of these findings for the assessment of perceived social support and for future research are discussed.