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Challenges in Defining and Connecting Constructs inFamresplan Project

Four complex theoretical constructs that have not been investigated in Croatia in regards to families at risk are studied as part of the FamResPlan research project: (1) family resilience, (2) the readiness for change of family members, (3) life satisfaction and (4) complex interventions. Even though these constructs are often studied with populations at risk and on the level of an individual with behavioral problems, they are rarely all put in relation in a single study and in a family context. The aim of this paper is to present the way in which they are defined and theoretically linked in the research design of the FamResPlan research project. Resilience is defined as the process of negotiating, managing and adapting to significant sources of stress or trauma (risk). Assets and resources within the individual, their life and environment (protective factors) facilitate this capacity for adaptation and 'bouncing back' (good outcome) in the face of adversity. Across the life course, the experience of resilience will vary (adapted from Windle, 2011). In this study the process of resilience will be assessed in families that are exposed to a number of risk factors. Along with resilience, life satisfaction will also be examined. This will test the assumption that families that are affected by the process of resilience (higher resilience) will also have a higher satisfaction with family life and other individual life domains. In addition to resilience and life satisfaction, the third important construct in this study is the readiness for change of family members. Although it is known that the readiness for change is an important predictor of the change of behavior or risk circumstances (Joe Simpson, Brome, 1998 ; Prochaska, De Leon et al., 1996), it is a construct that is rarely studied as a protective factor for resilience. Therefore, this study will try to determine to what extent the readiness for change of family members is a protective factor contributing to family resilience. Findings about these relations, together with the existing knowledge from the literature on the characteristics of individuals, systems and interventions, will be used in the development of guidelines for the creation of complex interventions for families at risk.

family resilience, readiness for change of family members, life satisfaction, complex interventions

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