Psychometric properties of the Cuestionario de Evaluación de las Relaciones Familiares Básicas (CERFB) in substance use disorder: Marital and parental relationships

Family therapy stands out among the main psychotherapeutic treatments for substance use disorder. Nonetheless, we should point out a deficit of psychometric instruments for family evaluation, specifically validated for this disorder in Spanish population. It is necessary to have questionnaires available to evaluate family dynamics, commencing with the quantification of the marital relationship and the parenting exercise which result in design-suitable interventions. The present study aims to validate and determine the clinical applicability of the Cuestionario de Evaluación de las Relaciones Familiares Básicas (CERFB; in English, Basic Family Relations Assessment Questionnaire) in substance use disorder. One hundred and fifty-two couples of Spanish nationality (N = 304 participants) with a child suffering from substance use disorder completed the CERFB as well as other means of family evaluation. The results of the CFA presented the validity of the two-factor structure model of the CERFB of the original version within the general Spanish population. The results of the invariance factor across sex allowed us to assume the configural invariance between the groups. However, the metric invariance based on the sex could not be assumed. The validity evidence based on relations to other variables determined significant correlations between the CERFB and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Parental Bonding Instrument. The reliability of both scales was satisfactory: Marital (α = .93; ω = .93) and Parental (α = .82; ω = .81) Normative data are provided. The CERFB is the first instrument to come about which is validated within the clinical Spanish population and which evaluates the family within substance use disorder.