A large body of research documents the influence of family’s dynamics on the management and outcomes of chronic illnesses. The Family Assessment Device (FAD) is a well-validated self-report questionnaire designed to assess six dimension of family functioning- Communication, Roles, Problem Solving, Affective Responsiveness, Affective Involvement and Behavior Control. The aim of the present paper was to verify the incremental utility of including the FAD in clinical settings.METHOD- A systematic review of the literature was performed, following PRISMA guidelines and using both computerized (Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science) and manual searches. All searches were limited to references published in English and Italian between April 1983 and May 2012. RESULTS- A total of 120 studies were examined and included in this review. The FAD has been extensively used in a variety of research contexts, including medical and psychiatric populations. The FAD was found to discriminate between clinical populations and controls and among groups of patients with different illnesses. It also showed good test-retest reliability and sensitivity to change after treatment. FAD-dysfunctional family functioning was related to lower patients’ recovery rates and adherence to treatment, longer recovery time, poorer quality of life and increased risk of relapse and drop-out.CONCLUSIONS- The present review supports the importance of assessing family functioning which may improve clinical outcomes in medical settings. The FAD demonstrated to have good clinimetric properties and to be a suitable instrument for this purpose-
Laura Staccini, Elena Tomba, Silvana Grandi (2013). The evaluation of family functioning by the family assessment device: a systematic review of studies in clinical populations.
The evaluation of family functioning by the family assessment device: a systematic review of studies in clinical populations
STACCINI, LAURA;TOMBA, ELENA;GRANDI, SILVANA
2013
Abstract
A large body of research documents the influence of family’s dynamics on the management and outcomes of chronic illnesses. The Family Assessment Device (FAD) is a well-validated self-report questionnaire designed to assess six dimension of family functioning- Communication, Roles, Problem Solving, Affective Responsiveness, Affective Involvement and Behavior Control. The aim of the present paper was to verify the incremental utility of including the FAD in clinical settings.METHOD- A systematic review of the literature was performed, following PRISMA guidelines and using both computerized (Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science) and manual searches. All searches were limited to references published in English and Italian between April 1983 and May 2012. RESULTS- A total of 120 studies were examined and included in this review. The FAD has been extensively used in a variety of research contexts, including medical and psychiatric populations. The FAD was found to discriminate between clinical populations and controls and among groups of patients with different illnesses. It also showed good test-retest reliability and sensitivity to change after treatment. FAD-dysfunctional family functioning was related to lower patients’ recovery rates and adherence to treatment, longer recovery time, poorer quality of life and increased risk of relapse and drop-out.CONCLUSIONS- The present review supports the importance of assessing family functioning which may improve clinical outcomes in medical settings. The FAD demonstrated to have good clinimetric properties and to be a suitable instrument for this purpose-I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.