Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes – FILE
Measures the accumulation of normative and non-normative life events and changes experienced by a family unit.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes – FILE was developed by Joan M. Patterson, Hamilton I. McCubbin (1983). It is designed to measure Family life events and stress accumulation. The scale is intended for use with Families.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 71 items organized into 9 factors/subscales: Intra-Family Strains, Marital Strains, Pregnancy and Childbearing Strains, Finance and Business Strains, Work-Family Transitions and Strains, Illness and Family Care Strains, Losses, Transitions In and Out, Family Legal Violations.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Intra-Family Strains | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17 | 17 |
| Marital Strains | 18,19,20,21 | 4 |
| Pregnancy and Childbearing Strains | 22,23,24,25 | 4 |
| Finance and Business Strains | 26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37 | 12 |
| Work-Family Transitions and Strains | 38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47 | 10 |
| Illness and Family Care Strains | 48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55 | 8 |
| Losses | 56,57,58,59,60,61 | 6 |
| Transitions In and Out | 62,63,64,65,66 | 5 |
| Family Legal Violations | 67,68,69,70,71 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a dichotomous Yes/No format.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.