Measuring the social dimension of subjective health in chronic illness.

This contribution discusses the social dimension of treatment-related subjective health in chronically ill patients. In its first part, it introduces two basic concepts, 'social performance' and 'social well-being'. These terms are further specified and discussed in the broader context of the notions of 'social support' and 'social adjustment'. The second part gives a selective, critical overview of currently used methods in the field. It is concluded that the existing gap between theory and measurement needs to be closed before substantial advancements in a comprehensive assessment of subjective health can be expected.