Measurement strategies in social support: A descriptive review of the literature

Social support literature has been criticized for lacking methodological clarity. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic descriptive review of the social support literature, outline measurement problems, identify the nature of assessment inadequacies, and provide recommendations for the future. Two‐hundred sixty‐two empirically based articles published between 1980 and 1987 were reviewed comprehensively. Information about social support measurement and sample characteristics was obtained. A system was designed to organize the data on sample characteristics, type of instrument, source of support assessed, and category of support measured. The social support literature also was described from a methodological perspective, and several trends were identified. Conclusions about conceptual maturity, a priori biases, measurement of network utilization, and social support sources are discussed.