Social Relationship Coping Efficacy Scale: Validity and reliability study

Background The Social Relationship Coping Efficacy Scale (SRCE) evaluates how effectively cancer patients maintain social relationships. This study aimed to adapt the scale into Turkish (SRCE-TR) and examine its psychometric properties.Methods This methodological study included 202 adult cancer patients in Türkiye who were aware of their diagnosis. Data were collected using the SRCE-TR, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). Content validity was confirmed by expert opinions, and construct validity was evaluated through Exploratory Factor Analysis and convergent validity analyses (Pearson correlation and bootstrap multiple linear regression). Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and test–retest methods.Results Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed a single-factor structure explaining 51.13% of the total variance. The SRCE-TR demonstrated moderate constructive validity, correlating significantly with the MSPSS (r = 0.308) and BRS (r = 0.310). Furthermore multiple linear regression analysis with bootstrapping indicated that the model significantly predicted SRCE-TR scores (R2_{adj} = 0.219, p < 0.001). Perceived family support (β = 0.360, p < 0.001) and resilience (β= 0.258, p < 0.001) emerged as the primary significant predictors of the scale scores.Conclusion The SRCE-TR is a valid and reliable tool for assessing coping efficacy in maintaining social relationships among Turkish cancer patients.