Assessing social support among South Asians: the multidimensional scale of perceived social support

Asian J Psychiatr. 2012 Jun;5(2):164-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2012.02.012. Epub 2012 Apr 30.

Abstract

The psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) of the Urdu (MSPSS-U) and Nepali (MSPSS-N) versions were investigated among Pakistani (n=148) and Nepalese (n=153) respondents living in Hong Kong. The factor analysis of the MSPSS-N conducted in this study confirmed the three factors of the original MSPSS, namely, Family, Friend, and Significant Others, while only two factors were extracted from the MSPSS-U (i.e., the Family and Friends subscales). With regard to construct validity, both the MSPSS-U and MSPSS-N were inversely correlated with depression, anxiety and stress as assessed by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). The internal reliability and construct validity of the MSPSS-U and MSPSS-N were also established and provided support for the validity of both versions as tools for measuring perceived social support among South Asian migrants.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Asian People / ethnology
  • Emigrants and Immigrants / psychology
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Hong Kong / ethnology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Psychometrics / instrumentation
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Social Perception*
  • Social Support*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires / standards*