Alcohol, Drugs, and the Family Social Support Scale (ADF SSS)

Abstract

The Alcohol, Drugs and the Family Social Support Scale (ADF SSS) is a specialized psychometric instrument designed to measure the perceived social support experienced by family members and close relatives of individuals struggling with alcohol or drug dependency. Developed to address the unique challenges and stressors faced by this specific population, the scale captures both the functional, positive support received (emotional, instrumental, and informational) and potentially negative or unhelpful support and attitudes directed toward the affected family member or the relative who uses substances. The ADF SSS provides a crucial tool for researchers and clinicians assessing the social environment and coping mechanisms of those living with a Problem Substance User (PSU).

Keywords

ADF SSS, Alcohol, Drugs and the Family, Social Support, substance use disorders, family functioning, psychometrics, addiction, coping mechanisms.

Authors

P. Toner, R. D. B. Velleman.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Alcohol, Drugs and the Family Social Support Scale (ADF SSS) is to provide a comprehensive and nuanced measurement of the support networks available to individuals whose lives are significantly impacted by a relative’s problematic alcohol or drug use. Traditional measures of social support often fail to capture the specific dynamics present in families affected by addiction, such as judgment, blame, or conflicting advice regarding the substance user.

The scale aims to differentiate between various types of support, including functional assistance, emotional validation, and specific informational support provided by both informal networks (friends and family) and formal sources (health and social care workers). By capturing these dimensions, the ADF SSS allows for a more accurate assessment of the resources available to help family members cope and make informed decisions.

Construct

The ADF SSS measures the multidimensional construct of perceived social support, specifically tailored to the context of addiction within the family unit. This construct is broken down into three principal factors, reflecting different facets of the support experience:

• Positive Functional Support: This factor encompasses emotional and instrumental aid, social companionship, and general support that validates the family member’s coping efforts.
• Negative ADF Support: This factor measures unhelpful or detrimental behaviors, including blame, criticism of the substance-using relative, pressure to end the relationship, or attempts to undermine the coping strategies of the family member.
• Positive Specific ADF Support: This factor focuses on formalized or specific types of assistance, such as receiving helpful information from health/social care workers, gaining insight from related literature, or receiving specific advice regarding the relative’s behavior.

Validity

Initial validation studies, such as those conducted by Toner and Velleman (2014), demonstrated promising psychometric properties for the ADF SSS. The scale exhibited strong construct validity by successfully differentiating between the positive and negative dimensions of support, which aligns with theoretical models suggesting that support networks can be both helpful and detrimental in addiction contexts.

The instrument’s structure, confirmed through Factor Analysis, supports its use as a measure sensitive to the unique emotional and behavioral challenges faced by this population, providing evidence that it measures the intended constructs—support specific to living with a Problem Substance User.

Reliability

The initial research into the ADF SSS confirmed adequate internal consistency, suggesting that the items within the identified subscales reliably measure their respective constructs. Although specific reliability coefficients were not detailed in the source content, the authors reported satisfactory initial reliability, indicating that the scale provides consistent measurements across its different dimensions (Positive Functional, Negative, and Positive Specific Support). Further research is recommended to confirm test-retest reliability across diverse populations.

Factor Analysis

The ADF SSS consists of 25 items which load onto three distinct factors identified through Factor Analysis. These factors define the scoring structure of the scale:

1. Positive Functional Support (Items 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 21, 22, and 23): Measures general emotional and instrumental support.
2. Negative ADF Support (Items 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, and 24): Measures critical, blaming, or unhelpful interventions and attitudes.
3. Positive specific ADF Support (Items 3, 15, 18, 19, 20, and 25): Measures support specific to the addiction context, particularly informational and formal support, as well as specific advice regarding the relative.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire/Psychological scale.

Format: 25 items scored on a 4-point frequency scale.

Language Available: English (Original development).

Population Group: Family members or close relatives of individuals with problematic alcohol or drug use.

Age Group: Adults (typically).

Population Details: Individuals who are co-dependent or living with a relative identified as a Problem Substance User (PSU).

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate the frequency with which they have experienced each type of support or attitude, using a 4-point Likert-style scale:

• Never
• Once or Twice
• Sometimes
• Often

Keywords

Family support, addiction research, perceived support, psychological measurement, Social Support Scale, ADF SSS, psychometrics.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence is typically handled through the authors’ institutional affiliations, such as the University of Bath during the time of development.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed as part of a PhD thesis in 2009 by P. Toner, with the definitive validation study published in 2014 (Toner & Velleman). Information regarding current usage permissions and associated fees should be directed to the primary authors or the University of Bath. The instrument and associated paper are publicly accessible via the University of Bath’s institutional repository, OPUS. The original PDF of the journal paper detailing the scale’s development can be downloaded here: http://opus.bath.ac.uk/38925/1/Toner_Velleman_2013_ADF_SSS_Paper.pdf

Reference’s

The ADF SSS instrument and its psychometric properties are detailed in the following academic sources:

• Toner, P. (2009). The development of a social support measure for the family members of problem substance users. PhD thesis. University of Bath.
• Toner, P. and Velleman, R. D. B. (2014). Initial reliability and validity of a new measure of perceived social support for family members of problem substance users. Addiction Research & Theory, 22 (2), 147–157.

Items of the Alcohol‚ Drugs and the Family Social Support Scale (ADF SSS)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. Friends/relations have understood what it is like for me to live with my relative’s drinking or drug taking.
2. Friends/relations have helped to cheer me up.
3. Health/social care workers have given me helpful information about problem drinking or drug taking.
4. I have friends/relations whom I trust.
5. Friends/relations have listened to me when I have talked about my feelings.
6. Friends/relations have backed the decisions that I have taken towards my relative and their drinking or drug taking.
7. Friends/relations have put themselves out for me when I needed practical help (i.e. aid or assistance).
8. Friends/relations have advised me to focus on myself and my own needs.
9. Friends/relations have questioned my efforts to stand up to my relative’s problem drinking or drug taking.
10. Friends/relations have been too critical of my relative.
11. Friends/relations have given me space to talk about my problems.
12. Friends/relations have said that my relative should leave home.
13. Friends/relations have said things about my relative that I do NOT agree with.
14. Friends/relations have avoided me because of my relative’s drinking or drug taking.
15. Health/social care workers have made themselves available for me.
16. Fiends/relations have blamed me for my relative’s behaviour.
17. Friends/relations have said that my relative does NOT deserve help.
18. I have identified with the information within books/booklets about people living with a problem drinker or drug taker.
19. Friends/relations have told my relative off on my behalf.
20. Friends/relations have advised me to leave my relative.
21. Friends/relations have been there for me.
22. Friends/relations have provided support for the way I cope with my relative.
23. Friends/relations have talked to me about my relative and listened to what I have to say.
24. Friends/relations have said nasty things about my relative.
25. I have confided in my health/social care worker about my situation.