ABSTRACT
Objective
Although research identifies intimate partner support as a protective factor in the face of stressors and that social support is most effective when tailored to specific stressors, there is no validated measure that assesses partner support in response to a racial stressor. To this point, the Support in Intimate Relationships Rating Scale (SIRRS) was modified to examine support provided by intimate partners in response to vicarious race-based stress (VRBS).
Method
The sample included 231 Black adults (18–64 years; M = 46.00, SD = 9.09) in romantic relationships with a Black partner for 6 months or more.
Results
Findings demonstrated adequate reliability and validity of the adapted measure. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed equivalent factors to the SIRRS. Construct validity was supported in that intimate relationship support was positively associated with vicarious race-based stress and interpersonal racial discrimination. Preliminary predictive validity was partially supported by a positive association between the physical support subscale and relationship quality among women.
Conclusion
Findings of the current study support the adapted SIRRS as a valid and reliable measure of VRBS-specific support in this sample of Black adults.
Implications
Using the SIRRS-VRBS as an assessment tool could promote strength-based culturally appropriate approaches by identifying preexisting resources in the client’s system, such as high levels of intimate partner support that can, in turn, inform treatment.