Online Social Support Scale

The Online Social Support Scale measures the perceived availability and quality of emotional, informational, and practical support received through digital channels—social media, online communities, forums, messaging apps, and digital platforms. Developed by Vilelas and Tomás (2011) for patients with chronic illness and refined by Nick and colleagues (2017), the scale recognizes that social support increasingly flows through digital networks, particularly for geographically dispersed, stigmatized, or medically complex populations who benefit from asynchronous, text-based support.