Psychometric Properties of the Shortened Chinese Version of the Family Resilience Assessment Scale

Family theory has refocused attention from deficits to family strengths, and interest in family resilience across cultures has become more widespread. However, few instruments were designed for quantitative research on family resilience. The Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS) was designed to measure family resilience and has been administered in Western populations. The aim of this study was to adapt the FRAS for use with Chinese populations and examine its psychometric properties. The study was conducted using a sample of 991 university students in China (62.9 % female, mean age 20, SD = 1.12). First, the scale was translated and modified into Chinese, and good language equivalency was found. Next, confirmatory factor analysis was used to identify the best-fitting model. Results showed that the 3-factor model consisting of 32 items was an adequate fit. The goodness-of-fit index values for the model were χ ²/df = 5.97, CFI = .84, RMSEA = .08, SRMR = .05. Total scale reliability was α = .95. According to these values it can be said that the modified Chinese version of the FRAS was adapted successfully to the Chinese culture. Moreover, researchers and clinicians can use this instrument to assess family strengths when working with individuals in families experiencing adversity.