Psychometric Properties of the Family Resilience Assessment Scale: A Singaporean perspective

Families of young people with chronic illnesses are more likely to experience higher levels of stress. In turn, their ability to cope with multiple demands is likely to affect young people’s adaptation. The purpose of this study was to examine psychometric properties of the Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS), an assessment tool that measures the construct of family resilience. A total of 152 young people with epilepsy, aged 13 to 16 years old, from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, completed the FRAS along with Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem scale. Factor structure of the FRAS was examined. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a 7-factor solution – Meaning making and Positive outlook; Transcendence and spirituality; Flexibility and Connectedness; Social and economic resources (community); Social and economic resources (neighbors); Clarity and Open emotional expression; Collaborative problem-solving – accounting for 83.0% of the variance. Internal consistency of the scale was high (α=0.92). Family resilience was significantly correlated with higher levels of self-esteem. Our study provides preliminary findings that suggest FRAS is a reliable and valid scale for assessing the construct of family resilience among young people with epilepsy in Singapore.