title: A brief form of the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (F-SozU) was developed, validated, and standardized.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Development of a brief instrument (F-SozU K-6) for the measurement of perceived social support in epidemiologic contexts by shortening a well-established German questionnaire (F-SozU K-14).
  
  
  METHODS
  The development of the F-SozU K-6 consisted of two phases; phase 1: the F-SozU K-14 was presented to a general population sample representative for the Federal Republic of Germany (N = 2,007; age: 14-92 years). Six items for the short form were selected based on the maximization of coefficient alpha. Phase 2: the new short form (F-SozU K-6) was evaluated and standardized in an independent second population survey (N = 2,508, age: 14-92 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The F-SozU K-6 showed very good reliability and excellent model fit indices for the one-dimensional factorial structure of the scale. Furthermore, strict measurement invariance was detected allowing unbiased comparison of means and correlation coefficients and path coefficients between both sexes across the full lifespan from adolescence (14-92 years). Well-established associations of perceived social support with depression and somatic symptoms could be replicated using the short form.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The F-SozU K-6 presents a reliable, valid, and economical instrument to assess perceived social support and can thus be effectively applied within the frameworks of clinical epidemiologic studies or related areas.
authors.affiliation: Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony, Lützerodestraße 9, 30161 Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: Soeren.Kliem@kfn.de.
authors.forename: Sören
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kliem
authors.affiliation: Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony, Lützerodestraße 9, 30161 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mößle
authors.affiliation: Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony, Lützerodestraße 9, 30161 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rehbein
authors.affiliation: Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony, Lützerodestraße 9, 30161 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Deborah F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Hellmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Ph.-Rosenthal-Str. 55, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zenger
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Ph.-Rosenthal-Str. 55, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Mainz, Untere Zahlbacher Str. 8, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Elmar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brähler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Confirmatory Factor Analysis; Measurement invariance; Perceived social support; Psychometrics; Self-report questionnaire; Social Support Questionnaire short form (F-SozU K-6); Standardization