Cross-national validity of dimensions of family functioning: First experiences with the Dutch version of the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD)

Abstract

The present study describes the first psychometric findings obtained in The Netherlands with the Dutch version of the Family Assessment Device (FAD) which was originally developed in the Anglo-American cultural context. In a sample of community volunteers, confirmatory analysis (multiple-group method) provided evidence of factorial validity of the FAD measuring constructs. Only 3 out of 60 items were found to be biased and had to be deleted from their a priori defined scales. Reliability and homogeneity indices pertaining to each FAD dimension were good. Despite (very) high correlations among FAD factors/scales, further analyses were focused on determining their convergent and divergent validity which offered good support for such. A higher-order analysis which incorporated reliable scales of the FAD and the Family Environment Scale yielded a two-factor composition: General Family Functioning and Family Influence / Power and Integration. There was evidence to support the viewpoint that a general measure of family functioning may be utilized which is broader in terms of content than the already existing subscale measure termed General Functioning. In line with findings pointing to the ability of the FAD to distinguish between families of psychiatric patients and nonclinical families, the great majority of the FAD subscales, especially Problem Solving and General Functioning, were found to correlate with psychological symptom states as assessed with the Symptom Checklist-90-R. Specific subscales were found to be affected by educational level, while none were affected by sex, age, or religious affiliation. All in all, the findings confirm the further use of the FAD in the Dutch national context.