Social Support Index – SSI
Measures the social support system of families, focusing on community, family, and friend support networks.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Social Support Index – SSI was developed by Hamilton I. McCubbin, Joan M. Patterson, & Elizabeth Glynn (1982). It is designed to measure Social Support. The scale is intended for use with Adults and families.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 17 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Community Support, Family Support, Friend Support.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Community Support | 1,4,6,8,11,13,14 | 7 |
| Family Support | 2,3,7,9,12,17 | 6 |
| Friend Support | 5,10,15,16 | 4 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
The scale includes 6 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 17 to 85. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Social Support: 17 – 39
- Moderate Social Support: 40 – 62
- High Social Support: 63 – 85
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.82.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.