Some psychosocial aspects of nonlethal chondrodysplasias: VI. Assessment of family interaction using the FACES II Questionnaire.

Intrafamilial dynamics, including those between parents, and between parents and their children, have an important influence on the ultimate success or failure of a child's becoming a well adapted and socially integrated individual. Disability and/or birth defects, such as dwarfism, may alter family functioning, either because of the psychological impact or the day-to-day functional demands or both. Family cohesiveness and adaptability and communication have been identified as key variables that define how a family interacts. The Circumplex Model of Family Systems defines the role of these factors in the family dynamic and the FACES II scale provides a standardised assessment of their level of function within the family. Thus families can be classified by their degree of cohesion, adaptability, and the combination of the two. This article reports on the results of the FACES II assessment that was completed by 107 patients with disproportionate short stature due to a chondrodysplasia, as well as by a variable number of their parents, sibs, or spouses.