Family cohesion and flexibility: Validation of the FACES IV package with portuguese adolescents

Abstract

The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale, developed by in the framework of the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems, assess family functioning through a relational diagnosis. This instrument is subdivided into six subscales, allowing an assessment of the balanced and dysfunctional levels (extremely low and extremely high) of the dimensions of family cohesion and flexibility. The FACES IV Package also includes two scales that evaluate family communication and satisfaction. The present article analyzes the psychometric properties of the instruments included in the FACES IV Package with a sample of Portuguese adolescents in two studies. In the first study, we included a community group of 757 students and a clinical group of 67 adolescents attending psychiatric appointments. The results of this study revealed a factorial model of 24 items with satisfactory psychometric qualities, showing an acceptable adjustment to our sample. In the second study, the factorial solution obtained in the previous study was replicated with an independent sample of 707 young students. The results of this validation, show that FACES IV is a useful tool for family diagnosis among Portuguese adolescents.