Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Perceived Social Support Scale in Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

Abstract

Background: The perceived social support of breast cancer patients has a great effect on regulating their negative emotions such as anxiety and depression, which is helpful to improve their mental health level. The Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) is a frequently used instrument designed to assess the degree of perceived social support. However, the psychometric properties of PSSS in breast cancer patients have not been adequately studied. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the factor structure of PSSS and examine its measurement invariance across different demographic variables in a sample of breast cancer patients.Method: This study involved 989 female patients diagnosed with breast cancer, aged from 25 to 72 years old (Mean age = 47.67 years, SD = 8.87). The single-group confirmatory factor analysis was administrated to examine the factor structure of PSSS. The multi-group confirmatory factor analysis was used to demonstrate the measurement invariance of PSSS across different sociodemographic variables. Results: The PSSS had satisfactory reliability and validity in current sample. The three-factor model fit well in the overall sample and population subgroups. Configural, metric, scalar, and strict invariances were all supported by the data of breast cancer samples across different age, places of residence and educational levels.Conclusion: This study examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of PSSS across different demographic variables in women diagnosed with breast cancer. Our results proved that PSSS is suitable for use among breast cancer patients.