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Protocol - Social Support

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Description

The Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey is a self-administered questionnaire that that includes 19 items across four functional support subscales: emotional/informational support (8 items), tangible/instrumental support (4 items), affectionate support (3 items), and positive social interaction (3 items). Each item is scored on a 5-point Likert style scale (1 = None of the Time; 5 = All of the Time) to indicate how often that type of support is available to them. A score for each social support subscale can be computed by averaging across the individual items or by adding scores individual items together. Higher scores indicate more support.

Specific Instructions

None

Availability

Available

Protocol

Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey

People sometimes look to others for companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each of the following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number on each line.

None of the Time

A little of the Time

Some of the Time

Most of the Time

All of the Time

1. Someone to help you if you were confined to bed.

1

2

3

4

5

2. Someone you can count on to listen to you when you need to talk.

1

2

3

4

5

3. Someone to give you good advice about a crisis.

1

2

3

4

5

4. Someone to take you to the doctor if you needed it.

1

2

3

4

5

5. Someone who shows you love and affection.

1

2

3

4

5

6. Someone to have a good time with.

1

2

3

4

5

7. Someone to give you information to help you understand a situation.

1

2

3

4

5

8. Someone to confide in or talk to about yourself or your problems.

1

2

3

4

5

9. Someone who hugs you.

1

2

3

4

5

10. Someone to get together with for relaxation.

1

2

3

4

5

11. Someone to prepare your meals if you were unable to do it yourself.

1

2

3

4

5

12. Someone whose advice you really want.

1

2

3

4

5

13. Someone to do things with to help get your mind off things.

1

2

3

4

5

14. Someone to help with daily chores if you were sick.

1

2

3

4

5

15. Someone to share your most private worries and fears with.

1

2

3

4

5

16. Someone to turn to for suggestions about how to deal with a personal problem.

1

2

3

4

5

17. Someone to do something enjoyable with.

1

2

3

4

5

18. Someone who understands your problems.

1

2

3

4

5

19. Someone to love and make you feel wanted.

1

2

3

4

5

Scoring:

A score for each social support subscale can be computed as either a total score or an average for the individual items. Higher scores indicate more support.

Emotional/informational support: items 2, 3, 7, 8, 12, 15, 16, 18

Tangible support: items 1, 4, 11, 14

Affectionate support: items 5, 9, 19

Positive social interaction: items 6, 10, 17

Personnel and Training Required

None

Equipment Needs

None

Requirements
Requirement CategoryRequired
Major equipment No
Specialized training No
Specialized requirements for biospecimen collection No
Average time of greater than 15 minutes in an unaffected individual No
Mode of Administration

Self-administered questionnaire

Lifestage

Adult

Participants

Adults, ages 18 years and older

Selection Rationale

The Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey is a brief, widely used, self-administered survey with established reliability and validity that captures the availability of functional social support.

Language

English

Standards
StandardNameIDSource
Human Phenotype Ontology No social interaction HP:0008763 HPO
caDSR Form PhenX PX630501 - Social Support 6231523 caDSR Form
Derived Variables

None

Process and Review

Not applicable.

Protocol Name from Source

The Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey

Source

Sherbourne, C. D., & Stewart, A. L. (1991). The MOS social support survey. Social Science and Medicine, 32(6), 705-714.

General References

Amstadter, A. B., Koenen, K. C., Ruggiero, K. J., Acierno, R., Galea, S., Kilpatrick, D. G., & Gelernter, J. (2009). Variant in RGS2 moderates posttraumatic stress symptoms following potentially traumatic event exposure. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 23(3), 369-373.

Boscarino, J. A., Kirchner, H. L., Hoffman, S. N., Sartorius, J., & Adams, R. E. (2011). PTSD and alcohol use after the World Trade Center attacks: A longitudinal study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 24(5): 515-525.

Price, M., Gros, D. F., Strachan, M., Ruggiero, K. J., & Acierno, R. (2013). The role of social support in exposure therapy for Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom veterans: A preliminary investigation. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 5(1), 93-100.

Protocol ID

630501

Variables
Export Variables
Variable Name Variable IDVariable DescriptiondbGaP Mapping
PX630501_Support_Advice_Want
PX630501120000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone whose advice you really want. show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Confide_Problems
PX630501080000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone to confide in or talk to about you show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Confined_Bed
PX630501010000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone to help you if you were confined t show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Do_Enjoyable_Things
PX630501170000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone to do something enjoyable with. show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Do_Things_With
PX630501130000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone to do things with to help get your show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Good_Advice
PX630501030000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone to give you good advice about a cr show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Good_Time
PX630501060000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone to have a good time with. show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Help_Chores
PX630501140000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone to help with daily chores if you w show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Hugs
PX630501090000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone who hugs you. show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Information_Help
PX630501070000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone to give you information to help yo show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Listen
PX630501020000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone you can count on to listen to you show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Love_Affection
PX630501050000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone who shows you love and affection. show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Love_Feel_Wanted
PX630501190000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone to love and make you feel wanted. show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Prepare_Meals
PX630501110000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone to prepare your meals if you were show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Relax
PX630501100000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone to get together with for relaxatio show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Share_Worries_Fears
PX630501150000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone to share your most private worries show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Transport_Doctor
PX630501040000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone to take you to the doctor if you n show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Turn_To_Problems
PX630501160000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone to turn to for suggestions about h show less
N/A
PX630501_Support_Understands_Problems
PX630501180000 People sometimes look to others for more
companionship, assistance, or other types of support. How often is each oft eh following kinds of support available to you if you need it? Circle one number for each line. Someone who understands your problems. show less
N/A
Post-traumatic Stress Psychopathology (including PTSD)
Measure Name

Social Support

Release Date

November 21, 2014

Definition

A questionnaire to determine level and type of social support.

Purpose

This measure assesses the degree to which interpersonal relationships serve particular functions. In particular, it asks how often the respondent can rely on other people for emotional, tangible, and affectionate support and positive interaction.

Keywords

social support, Affection, Emotional support, Social companionship, Instrumental support

Measure Protocols
Protocol ID Protocol Name
630501 Social Support
Publications

Trifan, G., et al. (2023) Association of Unfavorable Social Determinants of Health With Stroke/Transient Ischemic Attack and Vascular Risk Factors in Hispanic/Latino Adults: Results From Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Journal of Stroke. 2023 September; 25(3): 361-370. doi: 10.5853/jos.2023.00626