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Poor Perceived Social Support in Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) Patients and Their Partners: Cross-Validation of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support

Received March 26, 2007; revised September 6, 2007; accepted September 12, 2007. From CoRPS (Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic Diseases), Tilburg University, The Netherlands; the Dept. of Cardiology, Thoraxcenter, Erasmus Medical Center, The Netherlands; the Dept. of Psychology, Aarhus University, Denmark; and the Dept. of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Erasmus Medical Center, The Netherlands. Send correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Susanne S. Pedersen, CoRPS, Dept. of Medical Psychology, Rm. P506, Tilburg University, Warandelaan 2, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands. e-mail: s.s.pedersen{at}uvt.nl
© 2009 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine

BACKGROUND: Social support is a known buffer of psychological distress and has also been shown to influence adverse medical outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The authors investigated the role of social support and its correlates in patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and their partners. METHOD: The authors cross-validated the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) in Danish and Dutch cardiac patients and their partners and examined correlates of poor support. RESULTS: The three-factor structure of the MSPSS, its validity, and internal consistency were confirmed, with the test–retest reliability found to be lower than in previous studies. Being an ICD patient or an ICD partner, as compared with a chronic heart failure (CHF) patient, having no partner, and having a Type D personality were correlates of poor support, independent of anxiety and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The validity and reliability of the MSPSS were confirmed in a mixed group of Dutch and Danish cardiac patients and their partners. Preliminary findings indicate that ICD patients and their partners may be more in need of support than CHF patients.

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