2.2.5. Social Support

The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) was used for this variable. MSPSS identifies perceptions of support from three critical elements of individuals' emotional support: family, friends, and significant others; and has 12 self-administered items [35]. The scale items are: there is a special person who is around when I am in need; there is a special person with whom I can share joys and sorrows; my family really tries to help me; I get the emotional help and support I need from my family; I have a special person who is a real source of comfort to me; my friends really try to help me; I can count on my friends when things go wrong; I can talk about my problems with my family; I have friends with whom I can share my joys and sorrows; there is a special person in my life who cares about my feelings; my family is willing to help me make decisions; and I can talk about my problems with my friends. The answer choices are in the form of a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 7 (very strongly agree), with a higher score on the scale showing higher social support. Original study found that the scale had good reliability (Cronbach's alpha 0.92) and criterion validity (r = −0.332, *p* < 0.01).
