The perceived family burden scale: measurement and validation

Findings in family burden research suggest that, in families with a mentally ill relative, patterns of family interaction develop in response to the onset of major mental illness and result from the burden experienced by family members in coping with illness. The present study focused on instrument development and validation of the Perceived Family Burden Scale (PFBS), a measure of those patient behaviors associated with schizophrenia and the impact of these behaviors on relatives. The PFBS was found to be a valid and reliable instrument which demonstrated greater predictive power for early symptomatic relapse in schizophrenia than another measure of family interaction, expressed emotion.