Family Assessment Device: Reports From Mothers, Fathers, and Adolescents in Community and Clinic Families

Abstract

This study compared responses on the 60-item version of the Family Assessment Device (FAD) obtained from mothers, fathers, and adolescents in two groups of families. The clinic group consisted of 94 families in which the adolescent had been referred to a mental health service in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia. The community group consisted of 94 families, also containing a n adolescent, living in the Adelaide community. Members of the clinic families consistently rated their families as less healthy than did families in the community. Importantly however, adolescents in both groups of families rated their families as significantly less healthy than their parents. Thus, while the results of the study provide support for the discriminative validity of the FAD, they also emphasize the need to consider separately self-reports on family functioning obtained from different members of the same family.

What the family brings: gathering evidence for strengths‐based work

“…The mean FAD general functioning score was 2.05 (SD 5 0.53, n 5 404), which is comparable with other Australian clinic samples (Sawyer et al, 1988). FAD general functioning means were not significantly different where boys (mean 5 2.07, SD 5 0.54) or girls (mean 5 2.00, SD 5 0.50) were the identified clients.…”

The Specific Role of Childhood Abuse, Parental Bonding, and Family Functioning in Female Adolescents With Borderline Personality Disorder

“…The FAD has been validated in several ways. Scores from families with a member that is suffering from mental or physical health problems are consistently higher than those where the members are all in a good state of health (Epstein et al, 1983;Sawyer & Sarris, 1988). There is little correlation with ratings of social desirability and test-re-test reliability is acceptable (Miller, Epstein, Bishop, & Keitner, 1985); internal consistency in this study ranged from 0.61 to 0.93 (Cronbach's alpha).…”

Outcomes of Infant Sleep Problems: A Longitudinal Study of Sleep, Behavior, and Maternal Well-Being

“…Mean scores of 2.0 or more on this 12-item validated scale are considered indicative of unhealthy family functioning. 18,19 Ethics approval was obtained from the Ethics in Human Research Committee of the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.…”