Assessing the Family Functioning of Inner-City African-American Families Living With Schizophrenia With the McMaster Family Assessment Device

Abstract

Historically, the mental health literature focused on the deficits of families, particularly for those families with a family member with schizophrenia. The purpose of the present study is to assess the family functioning of a group of inner-city African-American families who have a family member living with schizophrenia. This study analyzes potential clinical problems for these families using a commonly used family functioning device—the McMaster Family Assessment Device (MFAD). The families showed no clinical problems on five of the seven sub-scales. The study provides preliminary quantitative evidence that social work research and practice models should avoid a deficit-oriented model when assessing and intervening with similar families.

KEYWORDS:

• schizophrenia
• poorer African-American families
• McMaster Family Assessment Device
• family functioning