Assessing Perceived Emotional Social Support in Individuals with Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder: The Multisource Emotional Support Inventory

Abstract

Abstract Background: Emotional social support is a protective factor for mental health in individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. A comprehensive instrument should contain items for assessing perceived emotional social support from multiple sources. In this study, we intended to examine the psychometric properties of a newly developed instrument, namely, the Multisource Emotional Support Inventory (MSESI), for assessing perceived emotional support in individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Methods: Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was done to examine the factor structure of the MSESI. Cronbach’s α was used for examining internal consistency. Concurrent validity was evaluated using the Pearson correlations of the MSESI scores with depression, loneliness, family, and peer-support function, as well as the Community Integration Scale scores. Results: The EFA results indicated that the MSESI had a seven-factor structure, with the seven factors corresponding to the following subscales: perceived emotional support from parents, partners, offspring, relatives living with the respondent, relatives not living with the respondent, close friends in real life, and friends on the Internet. The MSESI had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α ranging from 0.957 to 0.989). The entire MSESI had significant negative correlations with depression (r = –0.239; p < 0.001) and loneliness scales (r = –0.376; p < 0.001) and significantly positive correlations with family (r = 0.422; p < 0.001) and peer-support function (r = 0.430; p < 0.001) and community integration scales (r = 0.401; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our results support the psychometric properties of the MSESI.