Family Strengths, the Circumplex Model of Family Systems, and Personal and Family Functioning: A Meta-Analysis of the Relationships Among Study Measures

Abstract

Findings from a meta-analysis of studies investigating the relationships between family strengths and personal and family well-being and functioning are reported. The research synthesis included 33 studies conducted in six countries of 8259 study participants. The Family Strengths Scale developed by David Olson and his colleagues was used to measure family strengths. The studies included five personal functioning measures (depression, loneliness, stress, well-being, & belief appraisals) and five family functioning measures (communication, cohesion, flexibility, marital satisfaction, & stress). The correlations between family strengths and personal and family functioning were used as the effect sizes for the relationships between measures. Results showed that family strengths were related to each of the personal and family functioning measures, there were no differences in the sizes of effect between either the five personal functioning or the five family functioning measures, and that the size of effect for the relationship between family strengths and family functioning was nearly twice as large as the size of effect for the relationship between family strengths and personal functioning. Findings showed that family strengths were related to other family systems constructs in an expectant manner and that family strengths were related to different dimensions of healthy personal and family functioning as hypothesized. The results are discussed in terms of the how family strengths are important beliefs and practices for explaining healthy personal and family functioning. Five different limitations are also described.