Family Support Scale
The Family Support Scale (FSS) is an instrument that measures the extent to which individuals perceive that they receive support from their family members when facing difficult circumstances, such as in the case of stroke patients. The FSS constitutes a reliable and valid psychometric tool for assessing family support in individuals experiencing chronic health issues in general and stroke patients in particular.

The FSS comprises 16 items that determine the degree of family support that a patient received. The scale measures different aspects of family support perceived by patients, including emotional support, physical care, instrumental support, advice, and guidance, among other areas. The instrument is presented in a simple, straightforward, and easy-to-administer format. Therefore, it can be administered easily and quickly in clinical settings.
Several studies have demonstrated that the FSS has high levels of internal consistency, ranging from 0.75 to 0.91, indicating that it is a reliable measure of family support. Additionally, the FSS has shown to have good content validity, criterion validity, and construct validity. Studies have also reported that the FSS displays good test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability, which implies that patients’ family support remains consistent over time and across different raters.
However, it is essential to note that the FSS may have some limitations in culture-specific settings due to cultural differences in family structures or value systems. Therefore, there may be an issue of the cross-cultural validity of the scale. Additionally, as with any self-reported measure, the FSS may be subject to some response bias, such as social desirability bias, which can limit the accuracy of the information provided.
In conclusion, the Family Support Scale is a reliable and valid tool for evaluating family support in patients with chronic health conditions, and most importantly, for stroke patients. The FSS can be used to identify patients who perceive inadequate family support and can aid in providing targeted interventions to improve their overall quality of life after suffering a stroke. Nonetheless, researchers and clinicians should become aware of the limitations of the scale and interpret the results with great caution, particularly when testing with different cultures.
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