Psychometric Qualities of Family Functioning Measures in Malaysia: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Family functioning (FF) is one of the crucial family factors investigated by researchers; however, the FF studies in Malaysia are still at an early stage compared to those in Western countries. To develop studies in FF, a systematic review is done to understand the measurement of FF in Malaysia. A systematic search of literature published between 2011 and 2020 was conducted in several international and local databases. A total of 31 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Through this review, eight FF scales, most of which were developed based on the Western culture and two newly developed scales that have not been used/validated elsewhere have been identified. This review also highlights that the most widely used FF scale in Malaysia is the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale. From the Malaysian context, as the first FF scale in Malaysia, the Malaysian Family Functioning Scale stands out as the most suitable FF scale for measuring FF among Malaysians. In addition, issues surrounding the FF measurement, for example, the weaknesses found in Western FF scales when used in a non-Western context and the need for adolescent-specific FF are also discussed with recommendations for future research in this area.