Psychometric analysis of the Social Support Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale

When studying healthy aging, researchers rely on surveys with a range of standard questions. These questions help them understand important issues, such as the mental health of older adults. There are two concerns when using these standard questions. First, do the questions mean the same thing to different groups of people? Second, do all the questions need to be asked, or can some be removed without losing useful information? These concerns can be addressed using specialized statistical methods. In this study we will use those methods to review three sets of questions included in the CLSA’s data collection battery. We will determine if the questions are equivalent for Canadians who differ by age, gender, language, education, or ethnic background. We will also determine if it is possible to shorten one of the sets of questions, which will reduce the burden of data collection or create room for other important questions.