Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

To assess the reliability and validity of the Social Adjustment Scale-Self-Report for older adults, 129 community dwelling elderly ranging in age from 63 to 87 years (M = 72.3 yr., SD = 5.0) were surveyed using a modified version of the scale. The average internal consistency of subscales was satisfactory (mean coefficient alpha = .62). Overall social functioning impairment (total score) was associated with measures of depression (Beck Depression Inventory, r = .58) and global psychiatric symptoms (Brief Symptom Inventory, r = .55). Older adults scored higher on Marital role, Family Unit role, and overall social functioning impairment compared to mixed-age adults assessed in previous research, and higher on marital role impairment but similarly on overall social functioning when compared with a mixed-age sample from primary care. The modified Social Adjustment Scale–Self-Report has acceptable psychometric characteristics for research use with older adults, and select subscales may account for findings of age-related differences.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bateman

Fonagy

(1999) Effectiveness of partial hospitalization in the treatment of borderline personality disorder: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Psychiatry, 156, 1563–1569.

Beck

Ward

Mendelson

Mock

Erbaugh

(1961) An inventory for measuring depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 4, 561–571.

Blazer

(2003) Depression in late life: review and commentary. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 58A, 249–265.

Brodaty

Peters

Boyce

Hickie

Parker

Mitchell

Wilhelm

(1991) Age and depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 23, 137–149.

Carpiniello

Carta

M. G.

Rudas

(1989) Depression among elderly people: a psychosocial study of urban and rural populations. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavia, 80, 445–450.

Coyne

Kessler

Tal

Turnbull

Wortman

Greden

(1987) Living with a depressed person. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 347–352.

Derogatis

L. R.

(1982) The Brief Symptom inventory (BSI): administration, scoring, and procedures manual. Baltimore, MU: Clinical Psychometric Research.

Edwards

D. W.

Yarvis

R. M.

Mueller

Zincale

D. P.

Wagman

W. J.

(1978) Test-taking and the stability of adjustment scales. Evaluation Quarterly, 2, 275–290.

Gallagher

Neis

Thompson

(1982) Reliability of the Beck Depression Inventory in older adults. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 50, 152–153.

10.

Hale

W. D.

Cochran

C. D.

Hedgepath

B. E.

(1984) Norms for the elderly on the Brief Symptom Inventory. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52, 321–322.

11.

Hinrichsen

G. A.

Emery

E. E.

(2005) Interpersonal factors and late-life depression. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 12, 264–275.

12.

Keller

(2003) Past, present, and future directions for defining optimal treatment outcome in depression: remission and beyond. Journal of the American Medical Association, 289, 3152–3160.

13.

Lenze

E. J.

Dew

M. A.

Mazumdar

Begley

A. E.

Cornes

Miller

Imber

S. D.

Frank

Kupfer

D. J.

Reynolds

C. R.

(2002) Combined pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy as a maintenance treatment for late-life depression: effects on social adjustment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 466–468.

14.

Levin

(2000) Social functioning. In Kane

R. L.

Kane

R. A.

(Eds.), Assessing older persons: measures, meaning, and practical applications. New York: Oxford Univer. Press. Pp. 170–199.

15.

Linn

M. W.

(1988) A critical review of scales used to evaluate social and interpersonal adjustment in the community. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 24, 615–621.

16.

Miller

I. W.

Gabor

I. K.

Schatzberg

A. F.

Klein

D. N.

Thase

M. E.

Rush

A. J.

Markowitz

J. C.

Schlager

D. S.

Kornstein

S. G.

Davis

S. M.

Harrison

W. M.

Keller

M. B.

(1998) The treatment of chronic depression: Part 3. Psychosocial functioning before and after treatment with sertraline or Imipramine. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 59, 608–619.

17.

Nunnally

J. C.

(1967) Psychometric theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.

18.

Paykel

Weissman

Prusoff

Tonks

(1971) Dimensions of social adjustment in depressed women. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 152, 158–172.

19.

Thompson

L. W.

Gallagher

Breckenridge

J. S.

(1987) Comparative effectiveness of psychotherapies for depressed elders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 385–390.

20.

Weissman

M. M.

Bothwell

(1976) Assessment of social adjustment by patient self-report. Archives of General Psychiatry, 33, 1111–1115.

21.

Weissman

M. M.

Staff

Mhs

(1999) Social Adjustment Scale–Self-report (SAS–SR): user's manual. Tonawanda, NY: Multi-Health Systems.

22.

Weissman

M. M.

Olfson

Gameroff

M. J.

Feder

Fuentes

(2001) A comparison of three scales for assessing social functioning in primary care. American Journal of Psychiatry, 158, 460–466.

23.

Weissman

M. M.

Prusoff

B. A.

Thompson

W. D.

Harding

P. S.

Myers

J. K.

(1978) Social adjustment by self-report in a community sample and in psychiatric outpatients. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 166, 317–326.

24.

Weissman

M. M.

Sholomskas

John

(1981) The assessment of social adjustment. Archives of General Psychiatry, 38, 1250–1258.

The Social Adjustment Scale-Self-Report: Psychometric Properties for Older Adults

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References