Page 82 - Social networks of people with mild intellectual disabilities: characteristics and interventions

Chapter 4
Satisfaction and wishes with regard to the social network
To assess the satisfaction and wishes of the study participants with regard to their social networks, a questionnaire was developed based on the so called ‘‘scaling questions’’ that have their roots in Solution Focused interviewing (de Jong & Berg, 2008; Roeden, Bannink, Maaskant, & Curfs, 2009). The questionnaire consisted of four questions on satisfaction: one question about the network in general (‘How satisfied are you with your social network?’) and one question about satisfaction with respect to each of the three groups in the network in particular (‘How satisfied are you with your network of family/ acquaintances/professionals?’). Responses were provided along a five-point scale, ranging from very dissatisfied (score 1) to very satisfied (score 5). The five response possibilities were visualized as the five steps of a stairway, as also used in the MSNA. Next, we pointed at the stairway and asked the participant ‘What would make the satisfaction with your network one step higher?’ The answers of the participants gave us insight into their wishes with regard to their social network.
4.2.3 Procedure
The scientific and ethics committee from Dichterbij, one of the organizations participating in this research, approved the present study. All 105 participants agreed to participate and provided written consent. Interviews were conducted by students at the HAN University of Applied Sciences and social workers from MEE support agencies in the Netherlands. Both groups were trained on how to administer the questionnaires. At the start of the interview, the participant was informed about the aims of the study, that all responses would be handled anonymously and that it was possible to stop the interview at any point. To enhance the reliability of data collection, an interview protocol and accompanying instruction manual was used (van Asselt-Goverts et al., 2012). The interviewers were trained in the use of the protocol and how to conduct an interview. The interviews were voice recorded, and the responses of the participants were also noted during the interviews.
4.2.4 Data analysis
The data were processed and analyzed using SPSS (Version 20). To map the social networks of the participants, both the total network and the different groups within the network were analyzed: family (i.e. partner, children, parents,
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