Assessing Chinese adolescents’ social support: the multidimensional scale of perceived social support

The psychometric and factor-analytic properties of the Chinese version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS-C) were investigated in a Hong Kong Chinese adolescent sample. Two factors were extracted from this sample and they are Friend and Family subscales. The reliability, concurrent validity, and construct validity of the MSPSS-C were also established. The MSPSS-C demonstrated excellent internal consistency including the two subscales. In terms of construct validity, the MSPSS-C correlated negatively with depression and anxiety assessed by the General Health Questionnaire. The concurrent validity of the MSPSS-C was demonstrated by the positive association between the MSPSS-C and the Lubben Social Network Scale.