Participant Evaluation of the Differentiation of Family System Inventory (DoFSI): A Multi-Purpose Family Unit Assessment/Intervention/Treatment Tool

Abstract

Ever since family systems therapy became a field of study in the mid-20th Century, measuring family functioning has been about as easy as measuring the quantum world. It is vastly complex and variable—and messy. Over the years, various quantitative measures have attempted to master this feat, with varying success. However, quantitative, postpositivist measures do not collect rich, meaningful data about the lived experiences of real people in unique family situations. This descriptive phenomenological qualitative study gathered data on participants’ perceptions of the feasibility, acceptability, usability, and relevance of a new family systems intervention tool, the Differentiation of Family System Inventory (DoFSI). This tool, based on Bowen family systems theory (BFST; Bowen, 1978) and Papero’s (2018) five-dimensional framework, follows the Research Domain Criteria established by the National Institute of Mental Health (2021) in 2009. Involving the active participation of potential consumers in the process of psychosocial research and intervention development can improve both adherence and effectiveness because such an approach addresses the outcomes of most importance to them. By seeking the input of 13 qualified participants in developing the DoFSI, this applied study bridged the gap between research and real life. Before data collection, four subject matter experts provided feedback on an early version of the DoFSI, precipitating a revision that became the version used in this study. Then, in April 2022, nine participants who completed this new version via Qualtrics offered additional feedback, by semi-structured interview, on its content validity and usefulness. How the participants described their experience of completing the inventory became the data for this study, analyzed using NVivo 12. The final version of the DoFSI became a derivative of this data and is now available for use in clinical practice and qualitative research.