Measuring Perceived Social Support After Disaster: Development and Validation of the Perceived Social Support in Disasters Scale (PSSDS-28)
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: How to measure perceived social support in disaster-affected populations remains an unresolved problem in psychometrics: most available instruments do not jointly capture the source of support (from whom it comes) and its function (how and when it operates), both of which are theoretically critical after disaster. We developed and validated the Perceived Social Support in Disasters Scale (PSSDS-28), a 28-item self-report measure integrating both dimensions. In Phase 1, a PRISMA 2020-guided systematic review (489 records; 55 prioritized studies), a two-round Delphi procedure with eight experts (content validity index = .996–1.000), cognitive interviews with 12 survivors, and a pilot study (N = 150) produced a 31-item form. In Phase 2, face-to-face data were collected from 607 adults directly affected by the 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes (Türkiye). Factor-analytic, network-psychometric, item-response-theoretic, and common-method-variance analyses consistently supported a five-factor, 28-item structure comprising family–relative, social environment, institutional, emotional, and instrumental–informational support. The correlated five-factor model fit the independent validation sample well (CFI = .954, RMSEA = .076, SRMR = .072) and outperformed a one-factor alternative (ΔCFI = .222). Blocks showed strong internal consistency (ordinal α = .852–.949), composite reliability (.865–.950), and adequate test–retest stability (ICC = .542–.909). Scalar measurement invariance held across six sociodemographic and disaster-related groupings, and differential item functioning screening detected no meaningful item bias. Convergent associations with general perceived support and loneliness, and negligible common-method variance, supported construct validity. The PSSDS-28 offers a psychometrically defensible, multidimensional tool for post-disaster assessment that simultaneously represents the source and function of perceived support.
Source: OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints)
Authors: Ekrem Cengiz, Abdurrahman Oruç
Language: English
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204974117