Family functioning assesment with faces iv in adolescents from problematic families

Introduction: Multiproblematic families have received increasing attention by public authorities, although there is a lack of specific instruments to assess its functioning. This paper proposes Olson’s Circumflex model (FACES package) as an effective evaluation instrument for this group. Method: The sample consisted of 49 Spanish teenagers from problematic families, aged between 14 and 18, whose results in family functioning (FACES-IV), family communication (FCS), family satisfaction (FSS), time shared with parents, times a week they eat with family, family stressors and physical abuse suffered, were compared with a sample of 857 adolescents from 22 educative centres in Burgos (Spain), selected by a two-stage sampling. Altogether 46.5% men and 53.5% women. Results: teenagers from problematic families show less family cohesion, less flexibility, less communication, less family satisfaction and their families are more disengaged and more chaotic than adolescents from general population. They are also characterized by the lack of availability of the father, by eating fewer times in family, by having suffered more physical abuse and by the economic difficulties and family conflicts being their main family stressors. Conclusion: the FACES IV package is an effective instrument for detection and evaluation of problematic families and can be applied to Spanish adolescents from a broad social and family spectrum