Studies consistently suggest that strong social support is an effective buffer against psychological stressors. Even if the social support is not physically available, knowing that it is there is sufficient to help the person cope better
INSTRUCTIONS
The following questions ask about people in your environment who provide you with help and support. Each question has two parts:
The first part asks you to list all the people you know, up to 9 and excluding yourself, whom you can count on for help or support in the manner described The second part asks you rate how satisfied you are with the overall support you have based on the following scale:
1 = Very Dissatisfied, 2 = Fairly Dissatisfied, 3 = A Little Dissatisfied, 4 = A Little Satisfied, 5 = Fairly Satisfied, 6 = Very Satisfied
QUESTIONNAIRE
- Whom can you really count on to be dependable when you need help?
1a.How satisfied are you with that level of support?
- Whom can you really count on to help you feel more relaxed when you are under pressure or tense?
2a.How satisfied are you with that level of support?
- Who accepts you totally‚ including both your worst and best points?
3a.How satisfied are you with that level of support?
- Whom can you really count on to care about you‚ regardless of what is happening to you?
4a. How satisfied are you with that level of support?
- Whom can you really count on to help you feel better when you are feeling generally down-in-the-dumps?
5a. How satisfied are you with that level of support?
- Whom can you count on to console you when you are very upset?
6a.How satisfied are you with that level of support?
SCORING
The interpretation of the results is going to be subjective, as this questionnaire is really more of a survey than an actual quiz. If you are overall satisfied with your social support, then you should get a high total score (>24).
Use this survey to help you identify areas in your life where you might need to expand your social support or improve it
Source: Sarason‚ Sarason‚ Shearin‚ & Pierce (1987)