Salutogenesis focuses on how come people recover or stay well. The answer was described to be a Sense of Coherence (SOC). SOC is a global orientation which contributes to how flexible coping strategies are chosen. The SOC concept was operationalized in The Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-29). The questionnaire address to what extent life is perceived as comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful. The aim of the thesis is to contribute to an answer what is being measured with SOC-29. Longitudinal data has been collected (N= 764) from social work students and social workers over 4, 5, and 11 years. Factor analysis shows that SOC-29 measures a global concept without subscales. SOC-29 is not stable over longer periods, more than one year. There is no difference in stability related to respondents being younger or older than 30 years on baseline. SOC-29 change significantly for students during their education. SOC-29 at the start of education does not predict whether students will finish their bachelor’s degree. SOC-29 does not relate to socioeconomic position, gender or age. Social workers who are married or registered partnership have significant stronger SOC-29 than those living together with a partner or being single. The SOC concept measured with SOC-29 seems not to be culturally independent. SOC-29 has been tested with related constructs. SOC-29 has mainly strong significant correlations with instruments measuring negative/positive affect, neuroticism, and quality of life. Stepwise multiple regression analysis were performed on data from students (n= 207). Instruments measuring distress and negative affect contribute to 50 % explained variance of SOC-29. Instruments measuring quality of live and personal accomplishment contribute to 47% of the explained variance of SOC-29 for social workers (n= 116). Emotional exhaustion, control, work climate, work demands, work load and social support, does not contribute. SOC-29 shows high reliability, but the instrument can be developed. The scale can be used to evaluate social work interventions and education. SOC-29 can in social work education serve to demonstrate how this kind of instruments might be tools in social work practice.
Social Work, social workers, social work education, resilience, quality of life, soc, sense of coherence, Salutogenesis
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