Marital and family functioning: different measures and viewpoints

Abstract

  Background: Dysfunctional relationships have been considered to play an important part in the onset and maintenance of psychiatric disorders, particularly depression. Influential factors appear to be perception of low social support and emotional warmth and/or high levels of criticism and control by the recipient. The IBM was developed for use as a simple self-report measure to rate important components of the relationship between marital partners, described as the constructs of care and control. The aim of this study was to test the validity of the IBM. Methods: The IBM was compared with data from a structured marital interview based on the Self-Evaluation of Social Support Schedule (SESS). Data were also obtained from a nominated adult offspring witness. Family functioning was assessed using the General Functioning component of the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD). The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was used to determine levels of psychological morbidity. The witness data for sons and daughters were analysed to gauge gender effects in reporting. Results: The results show that `care' and `control' were identifiable constructs discerned by partners and witnesses with `care' rated more consistently than `control'. Care between parents was an indicator of the overall quality of the family environment. Care received by the wife from her husband seemed to set the emotional tone for the family. Daughters seemed to be more `in tune' with perceived care by both parents. Sons were less so, overall, but were more `in tune' with their fathers' perceived care than with their mothers'. Conclusion: Both the IBM, a self-report measure, and the structured marital interview provided consistent information about the quality of marital relationships, particularly perceptions of care. Perceptions of control were less consistently reported, which may suggest that `control' is a less robust construct. This may suggest that `control' is a more subjective experience, as the cues are more directed at the partner than other family members.