Support for Alzheimer's caregivers

Objective: Information on the shortened, 20-item version of the Perceived Social Support Scale (S-PSSS) is scarce. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the S-PSSS Family (SSfa) and Friends (SSfr) subscales. Method: Because of their common coping method of social support, a cross-sectional sample of Alzheimer’s caregivers was relevant for this evaluation. Self-reported data were collected from 229 participants at two caregiver conferences.Results: Factor analysis on each measure indicated a three-factor solution with all items loaded. Reliability was satisfactory. Correlational analyses and odds ratios indicated preliminary construct validity for SSfa and SSfr. Conclusion: The S-PSSS subscales appear to be psychometrically appropriate for potential use in appraising family and friend support among Alzheimer’s caregivers.