social adjust ment scale (sas- m)

this questionnai re asks about how you have been

during the last two weeks at work, spare ti me acti vi ti es
and in famil y life please read each statement and then
put a tick () in the box to the right to indicate how much
the statement has applied to you during the last two weeks
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work outside the home: the followi ng questions are about how things have
been in your $ob (full or half% ti me if you do not have a $ob go straight on to the
next section) over the last weeks have you&
1'
missed any ti me from work?*
'
been doing your job well?
!'
felt ashamed of how you have been doing your work?*
"'
got angry wi th or argued with people at work?*
#'
felt upset, worried or uncomfortabl e at work?*
('
been findi ng your work interesti ng?
housework : the followi ng questions are about how the housework has been
over the last weeks have you&
)'
done the necessary housework each day?
*'
been doing the housework each day?
+'
felt ashamed of how you have been doing the housework?
*
1,
'
got angry wi th or argued with
salespeople/tradesmen/nei ghbours?*
11
'
felt upset, worried or uncomfortabl e while doing the
housework?*
1
'
found the housework boring, unpleasant or a drudge?*
social and leisure activi ti es : the followi ng questions are about your friends and
what you have been doing in your spare ti me over the last weeks have you&
1!
'
been in touch with any of your friends?
1"
'
been able to talk about your feelings openl y with your
friends?
1#
'
done things sociall y with your friends (e.g. visiti ng,
entertai ni ng, going out together)?
1(
'
spent your available ti me on hobbies or spare ti me
interests?
1)
'
got angry wi th or argued with your friends?*
1*
'
been offended or had your feelings hurt by your friends?*
1+
'
felt ill at ease, tense or shy when with people?*
,
'
felt lonel y and wished for compani onshi p?*
1
'
felt bored in your free ti me?*
note that on this - the next page, scores for starred questions are reversed #, ", !,
, 1

cont.
extended family : the followi ng questions are about your extended fami l y, i'e'
parents, or
brothers, sisters, in%laws, and children not living at home (please do not include
your partner
or children living at home) over the last weeks have you& 1 ! " #
'
got angry wi th or argued with any of your relati ves?*
!'
made an effort to keep in touch wi th your relati ves?
#'
been able to talk about your feelings openl y with you
relati ves?
('
depended on your relati ves for help, advice or friendshi p?
)'
been feeling that you have let your relati ves down at any
ti me?*
*'
been feeling that your relati ves have let you down at any
ti me?*
mari tal : the followi ng questions are about how things have been between you
and your partner' .f you are not living with your partner or living with a person
in a steady relati onshi p, go straight on to the next section' /ver the past
weeks have you&
+'
got angry wi th each other or argued with one another?*
!,'
been able to talk about your feelings/probl ems with your
partner?
!1'
been making most of the decisions at home yourself?
!'
tended to give in and let your partner have their own way
when there was a disagreement?*
!!'
and your partner shared the responsibili ty for practical
matters that have arisen?
!"'
had to depend on your partner to help you?*
!#'
been feeling affecti onate towards your partner?
!('
and your partner had seual relati ons/? !bout how many
ti mes?
!)'
had any problems during seual intercourse (e.g. pain or
difficul t y with clima)?*
!*'
enjoyed your seual relations with your partner?
parent al : the followi ng questions are about how things have been with your
children (if you do not have children living at home go straight to the next
section) over the last weeks0
!+'
been interested in your children"s acti vi ti es, e.g.
school/fri ends/etc?
",'
been able to talk to and listen to your children?
"1'
been shouti ng at or arguing with your children?*
"'
been feeling affecti onate towards your children?
family unit : the followi ng questions are about how things have been with your
immedi ate famil y, that is your partner and children at home' .f you do not have
an immedi ate famil y, please ignore this section' /ver the past weeks have you&
"!'
been worryi ng more than necessary about things
happeni ng to your famil y?*
""'
been feeling that you have let your immedi ate famil y
down at all?*
"#'
been feeling that your immedi ate famil y has let you down
at all?*
actual ideal # actual ideal #
outside work = mari tal =
housework = parental =
social - leisure = family unit =
extended family = total score =
social adjust ment scale (sas- m)
$ill in the %uestionnai re for how you have been during the last two weeks. &nce you
have done this, go over it again indicati ng wi th a different colour or sign what for you
personall y would be the 'ideal ( or 'heal thi est ( answers. )ote that scores for the
starred %uestions *, +, , - ./ 0, *1, ** - *2/ *3, *4, *0, 21 - 2*/ 22, 23 - 24/ 20, +2,
+, - +3/ ,*/ ,+, ,, - ,. are all reversed, so responses to these starred %uestions
are rated ., ,, +, 2 or * rather than *, 2, +, , or .. 5n general higher scores indicates
better 'social adjustment (. 6ith several %uestions it is certai nl y arguabl e that the
'heal thi est ( score is 2, + or , rather than . 7 for eampl e %uestions *+, *., 2+, 28,
+*, +2, +, - +8.

6hen you have completed the %uestionnai re, work out your scores for the different
subsections and your total score. )ote them down in the relevant spaces at the end
of the %uestionnai re. 5f you would like to, it is %uite interesti ng and helpful to work
out what percentage of your ideal scores your actual scores come to. 9herapeuti c
work can usefull y focus on helping you increase these percentages. 9his is likel y to
be pri mari l y by increasing current scores that are low. 5t may also be relevant to
check your 'ideal ( scores for any that might indicate unrealisticall y high
epectati ons.
9he social adjustment scale has been widel y used and can be very helpful. 5f
necessary the scale can be responded to by someone else who knows a person well
rather than by the person themsel f. !lthough my scoring system is a little different,
this %uestionnai re, is basicall y the modified social adjustment scale (:!:;<). 9he
:!:;< was devised by taking the related !merican :!:;:=
*
and modi fyi ng it for use
with >ritish populati ons
2
.
9he :!: scales have been used wi th many different groups of people including
standard communi t y samples, arthri ti s sufferers, undergraduates, alcoholics, and
people recoveri ng from heart surgery. 9he scale has also been used in clinical trials
of psychotherapy and medicati on particularl y with people sufferi ng from depression.
5t is of particular relevance that we know those sufferi ng from depression who make
a good recovery achieve final 'heal thy( scores not onl y on depression %uestionnai res
but also on the :!: as well
+
. 5n parti al recovery the :!: score does not return to
normal and this indicates increased risk of recurrence. 5n a recent study
,
conti nui ng
poor :!: score was a better predictor of recurrence than self; esteem, social support,
attri buti onal style, genetic vulnerabi li ty or the number of previous episodes of
depression.
*. 6eissman <<, >othwell :. 1ssessment of social ad$ustment by patient self% report'
!rch ?en @sychiatry *038/++A****; ..
2. Booper @, &sborne <, ?ath C, $eggetter ?. 2valuation of a modi fi ed self% report
measure of social ad$ust ment' >r D@sychiatry *042/*,*A84; 3..
+. !gosti E, :tewart D6. 3ocial functioni ng - residual symptomat ol ogy among
outpati ents
who responded to treat ment - recovered from ma$or depression' D!ffect Cisord
*004/,3A213; *1.
,. :taner F, 9racy !, Cramai <, ?enervois B, Eanderelst <, Eilane !, >auwens $,
@ardoen C, <endlewicG D. 4linical and psychosocial predictors of recurrence in
recovered
bipolar and unipolar depressives& a one% year control led prospecti ve study'
@sychiatry
=esearch *003/80A+0; .*.