The Development of a Clinical Rating Scale the McMaster Model of Family Functioning

Abstract

This article describes the development and validation of the McMaster Clinical Rating Scale (MCRS). The MCRS is a 7-item scale designed to be completed by a trained rater after completion of an in-depth interview of the family. We present data from four new studies and review previously published articles concerning the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of the MCRS. Adequate interrater reliability and rater stability were obtained. The MCRS was found to correlate significantly with the self-report Family Assessment Device and to discriminate between families in different phases of a depressive disorder.

Predictors of family functioning in carers of individuals with anorexia nervosa

“…[50][51][52][53][54] Furthermore, 30 of 63 participants (48%) scored above the accepted clinical cutoff of 2.0 for family dysfunction. 55 The mean GHQ score of 20.1 in this sample was comparable to the mean scores from three other studies of carers of individuals with ED, which ranged from 15 to 27.7. 14,15,49 In contrast with family functioning, little support was found for the hypothesis that the selected predictors were predictive of the level of general psychological distress.…”

Psychosocial Aspects of Mothers of Children With Strabismus

“…28 Roles include satisfying the food, clothing, and support needs of family members, safeguarding the boundaries of the family system, and maintaining the standards and management of the family system such as housekeeping, bills, health issues, and decision making. 29 In families of the children with strabismus, it may be related to the fact that the mothers of the children with strabismus could not to perform their roles such as providing for the needs of family members, safeguarding the boundaries of family system and maintaining the standards because of their depressive symptoms.…”

The Beavers Systems Model of Family Functioning

“…In this study parents and children over 11 years old in a group of forty-five clinical and forty-five non-clinical families completed self-report instruments from all three models (Beavers and Hampson, 1990;Miller et al, 1985;Olson, 1986). Family interaction was rated by trained raters, who achieved acceptable levels of interrater reliability using observational ratings scales for all three models (Beavers and Hampson, 1990;Miller et al, 1994;Olson and Killorin, 1985). In addition, parents in all families completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, a self-report measure of marital satisfaction and adjustment (Spanier, 1976).…”