Confirmatory factor analysis of the medical outcomes study – Social support survey: Examining the factor structure among victimized women on probation and parole

Women in the justice system are a highly marginalized population that are disproportionately affected by violent victimization and psychological distress. Social support is a key mechanism in understanding these experiences. However, rigorous psychometric testing of existing social support instruments is scant and to date there are no studies specifically testing instruments for use with justice involved women. In order to address this gap, the present study sought to confirm the factor structure of the 12- and 4-item Medical Outcomes Study –Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS), a widely used measure of social support. Confirmatory factor models were estimated via robust weighted least squares and polychoric correlations among a sample of 406 victimized women on probation and parole. Findings supported the use of the 4-item version of the MOS-SSS as a reliable, valid, and extremely parsimonious measure of social support among victimized women on probation and parole.