Measuring family relations: Italian validation of the “cuestionario de evaluación de las relaciones familiares básicas” (CERFB)

Abstract

Objective: In recent years, the gap between research into family therapy and clinical practice in the field has been growing larger. In the Italian context, a major issue concerns the lack of any single instrument that can be used to assess a range of different family functions. In order to fill this research gap, the present paper aims to validate the Italian version of the “Cuestionario de Evaluación de las Relaciones Familiares Básicas” (CERFB), a questionnaire that evaluates family relations by measuring conjugal and parenting functions. This validation will be carried out by testing the instrument’s factorial structure, reliability and construct validity using an Italian non-clinical sample. Method: For this study, 114 couples as family units (228 participants) were recruited from the general population (mean age: 51.70, SD: 6.04). The 25-item CERFB, the six Domains of FACES IV, the FCS and the FSS were administered. Results: Results from confirmatory factor analysis supported the original two-factor structure regarding conjugal and parenting functions. Furthermore, results supported excellent internal consistency and construct validity with conceptually related family measures. Finally, normative scores were calculated in order to explain clinical results. Conclusions: The Italian version of the CERFB shows good psychometric properties and can be considered a valid and reliable measure for assessing both conjugal and parenting functions. It can be used in research and for clinical purposes as an innovative instrument applied to prevent risks to the health of children and to carry out and evaluate family interventions.