Personal Resource Questionnaire [PRQ-25]

Description

The Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ-25) is an instrument used to assess an individual’s personal and social resources, with particular emphasis on perceived social support. Participants respond to statements concerning their personal relationships, available support, and their perceptions of the social resources they can rely on.

The questionnaire provides information about the perceived quality and level of social support available to the individual.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the PRQ-25 is to assess perceived social support. Social support refers to resources provided by other people that may help individuals cope with stress, life challenges, and demanding circumstances.

Understanding perceived social support may help identify individuals who are vulnerable, socially isolated, or in need of additional support. According to the source material, the instrument has been used in clinical studies, health programs, and psychological assessments aimed at improving quality of life.

Scoring

The PRQ is typically administered using a Likert-type response scale, in which participants indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree with a series of statements.

The source document gives an indicative range from:

1 = Not at all
to
7 = Very much.

Higher scores generally indicate a higher level of perceived social support.

Data Analysis and Interpretation

The results may be analyzed through either a total score or separate subscale scores representing different dimensions of social support. The source material refers, for example, to emotional, material, and informational support.

Interpretation should follow the scoring instructions for the specific version of the PRQ being used, particularly because different versions and revisions of the instrument have been developed.

Applications

The PRQ-25 may be used in research examining social support, psychological adjustment, quality of life, health, and coping strategies.

It may also be applied in clinical, community, and educational settings to investigate available social resources and their relationship with psychosocial well-being and positive health practices.

References

Brandt, P. A., & Weinert, C. (1981). The PRQ-A Social Support measure. Nursing Research, 30, 277–280.

Weinert, C. (1987). A social support measure: PRQ85. Nursing Research, 36, 273–277.

Weinert, C., & Brandt, P. A. (1987). Measuring social support with the Personal Resource Questionnaire. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 9, 589–602.

Weinert, C. (1988). Measuring social support: Revision and further development of the Personal Resource Questionnaire. In C. F. Waltz & O. L. Strickland (Eds.), Measurement of Nursing Outcomes: Measuring Client Outcomes (Vol. I, pp. 309–327). Springer.

Ayres, C. G. (2008). Mediators of the relationship between social support and positive health practices in middle adolescents. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 22, 94–102.

Ayres, C. G., Atkins, R., & Li, J. H. (2010). Factors related to health practices: Cervical cancer screening among Filipino women. Research and Theory for Nursing Practice, 24, 197–208.

Ayres, C. G., & Mahat, G. (2012). Social support, acculturation, and optimism: Understanding positive health practices in Asian American college students. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 23, 270–278.