Development of a Mutual Support Scale in Emergency Settings and Assessment of its Reliability and Validity

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop a mutual support (MS) scale in emergency settings for use during a disaster relief mission and to establish its reliability and validity. Methods: The MS scale was developed from preceding studies and the qualitative analysis of data obtained from semi-structured interviews. Data were collected using a questionnaire with a sample of 747 nurses from hub medical institutions, following a disaster. Results: A 28-item scale composed of three sub-scales was developed. The sub-scales were "promoting good relationship in a team", "enhancing connectedness in a team", "calming tension". Statistical reliability was confirmed with Cronbach's alpha at .95. The MS scale was significant positively correlated with the communication ability scale, flexibility scale, and supportive humor scale. The Score of the MS scale showed higher score among groups who had experienced disaster relief before. Conclusions: The MS scale, comprising three sub-scales, was developed and its reliability and validity was verified in this study.