Applicability of the Impact on Family Scale for assessing families with behaviorally difficult children

The present paper reports a series of studies on the potential usefulness of the Stein and Riessman Impact on Family Scale for assessing the effects of behaviorally difficult children on their families. Subjects were parents of 54 clinic and 76 nonclinic children who completed a child behavior or child temperament questionnaire in addition to the Impact on Family Scale. Findings suggest that, while the scale was developed for assessing the influence of a physically ill child on the family, this general assessment approach may also have value in assessing family-related changes associated with having a child who is difficult to look after.