Critical Review of the Family Adaptability & Cohesion Scale: Gender, Culture, & Migration Status

Abstract

In order to inform broader development and implementation of interventions to promote generational resilience in migrant and refugee families, we investigated available literature on the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES), a measure of family functioning. Our approach centered on a three-way comparison of published research. We included studies with the following foci: (1) diverse geographic and cultural validation of FACES IV, (2) biological sex differences, and (3) applied studies with refugee/migrant populations. Specific to our current research, Karen refugees are part of a rapidly expanding resettlement community in the United States. Circumstances of Karen refugees from Burma are a result of violent ethnic conflict and over one million people forcibly displaced from homes in Burma. This synthesis will inform next steps in an exploratory validation of the FACES measure with a sample of Karen refugees from Burma. Findings from this synthesis and our ongoing research will inform the development of a family centered intervention designed to interrupt intergenerational transmission of trauma among families exposed to torture and war trauma.