The family functioning in adolescence questionnaire: a measure of psychosocial family health during adolescence

Abstract

An instrument has been developed to assess psychosocial health of the family during the stage of having adolescent children, as perceived by the adolescent. The measure is based on a model integrating family systems research and the developmental tasks of adolescents. It examines six dimensions of family functioning: (1) Structure (2) Affect, (3) Communication, (4) Behaviour control, (5) Value Transmission and (6) External Systems. A sample of 413 Year 10 students (.hivin.x = 15.7 years) participated in the development of the instrument. Satisfactory levels of reliability and validity are reported. The Family Functioning in Adolescence Questionnaire (FFAQ) provdies a means of assessment for researchers interested in family functioning during adolescence, and also for therapists and counsellors working with teenagers.