A Spanish version of the Family Assessment Device

Abstract

Proposals to improve and adapt questionnaire are discussed with a view to make it applicable to cultures other than the one it was developed. Theoretical models relating to psychosocial aspects such as family functioning, albeit compatible in some areas, should be viewed with caution in cultures different to that in which the model originates.

Preliminary stages of cross-cultural adaptation of the Brazilian Portuguese version of McMaster Family Assessment Device

“…The Brazilian version showed a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.910), which is similar to those found in other versions 1,8,22,23 . With regard to the internal consistency of the FAD dimensions, the Brazilian version showed similar scores to those found in studies using comparable samples.…”

“…Family functioning studies have raised great interest in the literature given that they identify the dynamics and influence of psychosocial variables on the detection of both general diseases and psychiatric disorders 1 . Family comprises a complex system to be assessed because each has a peculiar way of life, deeply influenced by cultural factors 2 .…”

“…The questionnaire is supposed to be answered by all family members above 12 years of age, and it takes approximately fifteen to twenty minutes to complete 4 . The FAD was originally created in the United States of America, and was translated into several languages with cross-cultural adaptation for many countries 1,3,[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] . Because the FAD is self-administered and can potentially be used in epidemiological population-based studies and due to the lack of a Brazilian Portuguese version, the purpose of this study was to provide a translation into Portuguese and a cross-cultural adaptation for the Brazilian culture.…”

The Family Assessment Device: A Clinimetric Analysis

“…The results of our exploratory factor analysis are consistent with the literature since no research found a good fit between the McMaster Model and the data collected in cross-cultural studies [3,4,5,7]. Results on the clinimetric version of the FAD are also consistent with those proposed for the clinimetric version of the neuroticism subscale of the Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness Personality Inventory (NEO-PI) [10].…”

“…It has 6 subscales and a General Functioning scale, which assesses the overall health/pathology of the family. The FAD has shown an adequate internal consistency [3,4,5] and moderated correlations with other self-report family assessment questionnaires [6]. Its discriminant validity, between families of medical patients and families of controls, has been studied with heterogeneous results [6], while the discriminant validity among families of different groups of psychiatric patients and normal samples is good [6].…”