Although social support for patients with chronic illnesses buffers the detrimental impacts of stress, if it is not provided appropriately, it can be a source of stress. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Contextual Illness Support Scale (K-CISS) for patients with rheumatoid disease.

A cross-sectional survey containing measures on social support, depression, anxiety, and quality of life was conducted with patients with rheumatoid disease (N=323).

The construct validity was supported by the results of the exploratory structural equation modeling, confirming the original two-factor model (positive and problematic support) and significant correlations between these two factors and health-related variables (i.e., depression, anxiety, and quality of life). The concurrent validity was supported by the significant positive correlation between positive and social support that was measured by the Korean version of the DUKE-UNC functional social support questionnaire. The internal consistency of the K-CISS was satisfactory, with Cronbach’s α values of .96 and .72 for the subscales.

These results suggest that K-CISS is a reliable and valid measure of two aspects of social support.