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J Clin Nurs. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2019 August 01.
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Published in final edited form as:

J Clin Nurs. 2018 August ; 27(15-16): 3205–3224. doi:10.1111/jocn.14500.

Family Functioning in the Context of an Adult Family Member

with Illness: A Concept Analysis
Yingzi Zhang, MS, PhD [student]
University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Nursing, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Abstract
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Aim—To describe and explain how the concept of family functioning has been used in the
targeted sample of health literature on adult family members with illness.

Background—Understanding the influence of illness on family functioning is central to the

provision of patient- and family-centered care. There is lack of consistency in utilizing family
functioning which creates confusion about the concept and can interfere with theory development
in nursing science. A clear conceptual definition of attributes of family functioning based on
concept analysis could act as a guide in the development of instruments to assess family
functioning, the design of family-based interventions, and their application in clinical practice.

Design—Concept analysis

Data sources—Academic Search Premier, ProQuest Research Library, Family & Society
Studies Worldwide, PsychoInfo, SocINDEX, PubMed and CINAHL databases were searched
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within the last 20 years (1997 – Dec. 2016) using the terms “family function*” and “patient”.
Studies of pediatric patients and non-English articles were excluded.

Method—Rodgers' evolutionary perspective

Results—The findings suggest that family functioning in the context of illness is defined as how
well family members communicate with each other, fulfill family roles, accept family routines and
procedures, cope with and adjust to family stress, and relate to each other.

Conclusion—Further research is needed to inform nurses' practice when assessing families or

providing patient- and family-centered interventions to support family functioning across different
sociocultural and political contexts. Further identification and evaluation of antecedents and
consequences regarding family functioning from a nursing perspective.
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Relevance to clinical practice—Having a comprehensive understanding of the attributes,

antecedents and consequences of ineffective family functioning can facilitate healthcare providers'
ability to identify strengths and potential targets to improve family functioning among their
clients.

Correspondence: Yingzi Zhang, MS, Doctoral student, School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 701 Highland Ave, Suite
# 3134, Madison, WI 53705 ([email protected]).
The author has no conflicts of interest to disclose.
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Keywords
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Family Functioning; Concept Analysis; Adult Patient; Patient- and Family-centered Care

Introduction
Illness management is complex and takes place in various settings (i.e., home, hospital,
community facility). Regardless of setting, the context of illness management includes
family and may impact family functioning. The illness affects not only the patient, but also
imposes changes in the whole family system (Northouse, 2012). Family members may be
asked to provide physical and psychological care (e.g., assistance with daily meals,
medications, physical activity, and emotional coping) to support the patients' illness recovery
and management. The role family plays in adult family members' illness experience had
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been examined in adult patients with a variety of medical conditions, such as cancer, mental
health issues, and other chronic illnesses (Friedmann et al., 1997; Mahrer-Imhof et al., 2013;
Ozono et al., 2005); and has been studied in Western and non-Western cultures, by nurse-
and non-nurse investigators (Geurtsen, van Heugten, Meijer, Martina, & Geurts, 2011; Wang
& Zhao, 2012). In current health literature, family functioning is one of the main concepts
explored with respect to the role of family in illness, and how illness impacts the family
system (Çuhadar, Savaş, Ünal, & Gökpınar, 2015; Khattak, 2007; Furgał et al., 2009).

Family functioning has been widely discussed in nursing practice, education, and research.
In practice, family functioning is an essential component of patient and family centered care
(PFCC). The Joint Commission in the United States (2010) has incorporated tenets of PFCC
into their standards and requirements for health care organization performance. These
strategies encourage the delivery of health care “…that is grounded in mutually beneficial
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partnerships among health care providers, patients, and families” (The Joint Commission,
2010, page 1). Patient- and family-centered care is valued and highlighted in clinical practice
to support families and enhance family functioning during difficult times (Feinberg, 2012).
Nurse researchers have developed theories regarding family functioning in the context of
illness. For example, the Calgary Family Assessment and Intervention Model has been
widely utilized as a theoretical underpinning for examining family functioning in nursing
education, research, and family care (Leahey & Wright, 2016). Nurse researchers have also
developed and tested instruments to measure family functioning, such as Feetham's Family
Functioning Scale (Roberts & Feetham, 1982), Survey of Family Environment (Hohashi &
Honda, 2012), and Family Functioning, Health and Social Support questionnaire (Åstedt-
Kurki, Tarkka, Paavilainen, & Lehti, 2002).
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The term “family functioning” has been used frequently in the context of health research.
Previous literature suggests that effective family functioning results when the family
members play their respective roles, successfully perform practical tasks, and maintain
relationships within and beyond the family context (Çuhadar et al., 2015; Astedt-Kurki,
Tarkka, Rikala, Lehti, & Paavilainen, 2009). However, the conceptual and operational
definitions of family functioning differ across studies, which limits the ability to compare
and synthesize findings regarding the concept. For example, across three studies of families

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of an adult patient with cancer or in palliative care, family functioning was conceptually
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defined as the daily processes families engage in to achieve goals and to support family
members' health and development (Kühne et al., 2013); as a resiliency factor equivalent to
family flexibility (Lim & Ashing-Giwa, 2012); or the concept was not defined (Schuler et
al., 2014). Operational definitions included the Family Assessment Device (FAD), which
assesses problem solving, communication, roles, affective involvement, affective
responsiveness, and general functioning; the Family Relationships Index, which assesses
cohesiveness, expressiveness, and conflict resolution; and the Family Adaptability and
Cohesion Evaluation Scales-III (FACES-III), which measures adaptability and cohesion
(Kühne et al., 2013; Lim & Ashing-Giwa, 2012; Schuler et al., 2014). Some similarities
(e.g., roles, adaptability, communication/expressiveness, cohesion) and some differences
(e.g., conflict resolving vs. behavior control) are evident in the conceptual and operational
definitions used by these three research teams. This lack of consistency creates confusion
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about the concept and can interfere with theory development in nursing science. A clear
conceptual definition of attributes of family functioning based on concept analysis could act
as a guide in the development of instruments to assess family functioning, the design of
family-based interventions, and their application in clinical practice.

Purpose
Although several health researchers have used the term, no concept analysis of family
functioning in the context of an adult family member with illness is currently available. This
concept analysis is necessary to clarify and distinguish attributes or characteristics of the
concept from those of other related or surrogate concepts found in family-centered health
research. By nature, the concept of family functioning is context-dependent. Families with
different cultural, social and political backgrounds may have different perspectives on the
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composition and meaning of family. For the purpose of this analysis, family is used in the
traditional sense: as blood related or legally adopted, in nuclear and/or extended families.
The context of illness includes an adult family member with any acute or chronic illness
receiving medical or rehabilitative care in any setting including a hospital, community care
facility, home, or transitioning across care settings. Subsequent use of the term “patient” is
meant to be inclusive of adult family members with illness, regardless of settings (home,
community, or care facility).

Methods
Rodgers' Method
Rodgers evolutionary concept analysis was selected as the method for this study. Concept
analysis provides a method by which one can “define the concept of interest in terms of its
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critical attributes or ‘essence,’ which typically is presented as a set of conditions that are
both necessary and sufficient to delineate the domain and boundaries of the concept”
(Rodgers, 2000, p. 77). Rodgers described concepts as abstract ideas that are influenced by
“socialization and public interaction” (Rodgers, 2000, p. 78). Given that family functioning
is context dependent, adopting an evolutionary perspective to concept analysis, as proposed
by Rodgers (2000), is beneficial in clarifying and advancing understanding of the concept.
Rodgers' method includes six steps: (1) identify the concept of interest and associated

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expressions; (2) identify and select the appropriate setting and samples for data collection;
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(3) collect relevant data to identify attributes, contextual basis including interdisciplinary,
sociocultural, and temporal (antecedents, consequences) variations, surrogate terms, and
related concepts; (4) analyze and summarize data regarding characteristics of the concept;
(5) identify an exemplar of the concept, if appropriate; and (6) identify implications and
hypotheses for further development of the concept.

Search Strategy and Data source

Academic Search Premier, ProQuest Research Library (including PsychInfo), Family &
Society Studies Worldwide, SocINDEX, PubMed, and CINAHL were searched using the
terms “family function*” and “patient”. “Illness” was not included based on the assumption
that the term “patient” implied some health condition. Terms used interchangeably with
family functioning were not identified in advance because exploration of surrogate terms is a
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step in the concept analysis process. The search was restricted to those papers published
within the last 20 years (1997 – Dec. 2016) with “family functioning” as the main concept,
“patient” in the abstract, and “adult” (≥ 18 years old) age group. A span of 20 years was
selected for this analysis because the historical shifts in the way Americans define family
that began in the late 1960s have stabilized since 1990 (Roberts, 2008). Articles involving
pediatric or normal populations, articles without a focus on family functioning, letters to
editor, editorial commentary, published abstracts, and non-English report were excluded.

Zotero was used to organize the citations retrieved and delete duplicates, resulting in a total
of 767 records. I screened all titles and excluded 158 records that were not relevant; I then
read abstracts of the remaining 609 articles and identified 359 records that met inclusion
criteria. A total of 253 records were published within the last 20 years: 46 by nurse authors
(first or corresponding author) and 207 by non-nurses. Rodgers (2000) recommended that at
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least 20% of the total population should be sampled for concept analysis; n=51 in this case.
Given the fact that papers by nurse authors comprised a small proportion of all articles, I
oversampled them (selecting 40% rather than 20% of nursing articles) to ensure that results
included nursing's conceptualization of “family functioning” in the context of an adult
family member with illness. Records were sorted by publication date from oldest to newest,
within categories of nursing and non-nursing publications. A random number table
generated by SPSS 22.0 (NY: IBM Corp.) was used to identify and select n=18 articles from
nurse authors, and n=33 articles from non-nurse authors (See flow diagram in Figure 1).

Data Abstraction
I read the full text of each article and abstracted data to a review matrix. The review matrix
was organized with a column for each characteristic specified by Rodgers' method: (1)
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attributes, (2) contextual basis of family functioning including interdisciplinary,

sociocultural, and temporal (antecedents and consequences) variations, (3) surrogate terms
and concepts related to family functioning, and (4) reviewer notes regarding related theory,
conceptual and operational definitions, and use of family functioning. Attributes were
identified as terms used by the authors in explaining the meaning of family functioning or
describing measurement of the concept. Interdisciplinary and sociocultural context were
identified in the text as the authors' discipline and the social, political, and cultural context of

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the study setting/environment. Temporal antecedents were identified in the text as factors
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noted to happen before or predict family functioning. Temporal consequences were

identified in the text as factors noted to happen after or as a result of family functioning.
Related concepts were identified in the text as terms that shared some attributes with family
functioning. Surrogate terms were identified in the text as terms used interchangeably with
family functioning. Other information was abstracted with quotes to illustrate definitions and
use of the concept of family functioning. A second investigator reviewed a subset of articles
and initial entries to the review matrix, and provided feedback and suggestions to refine data
abstraction.

Analysis and Summary of Concept Characteristics

Data were analyzed by reviewing all the entries in a particular column. The main themes
were noted across entries (Table 1). Results presented below summarize these themes.
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Results
The selected publications included 47 quantitative studies (42 research articles and 5
dissertations), one qualitative study, one case study, and two narrative literature reviews. One
literature review described interventions to support family functioning among mothers with
high-risk pregnancies needing treatment or hospitalization (Martin-Arafeh, Watson, & Baird,
1999). The other review summarized evidence supporting nursing activities for the Nursing
Intervention Classification, “Family Integrity Promotion” (Van Horn & Kautz, 2007).
Neither review overlapped with the purpose of the current concept analysis.

Defining Attributes
Identification of attributes represents the primary interest of concept analysis. The attributes
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constitute a definition of the concept and make it possible to “identify situations that fall
under the concept” (Rodgers, 2000, p. 91). Five attributes of family functioning were
identified in the publications reviewed, including sense of cohesion, role fulfillment,
problem solving, behavior control, and communication (Table 1).

Sense of cohesion was identified as an attribute of family functioning in 45 studies reviewed

(e.g. Abilés et al., 2010; Ebrahimzadeh & Rajabi, 2007; Li et al., 2009). It referred to how
family members perceive their bonds with other family members and the degree of
commitment, help, and support that family members provide for one another (Bearslee et al.,
2007; Saunders, 1997; Van Horn & Kautz, 2007). The individual's ability to find a balance
between being emotionally involved with other family members and being independent from
the family system was the central of sense of cohesion (Wisotsky et al., 2006, Abilés et al.,
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2011; Weinstock et al., 2013). In addition, cohesion was the basis of developing
relationships with one another, as well as how family members interact and support each
other to accomplish family tasks (Furgał et al., 2009; Krawetz et al., 2001, Beardslee et al.,
2007).

Role fulfillment—The attribute of role fulfillment was identified in 33 of the reviewed

studies (e.g. Chiang, Chen, Dai, & Ho, 2012; Khattak et al., 2007; Uehara, Kawashima,

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Goto, Tasaki, & Someya, 2001). It referred to the recurrent patterns of behavior that achieve
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family functions and meet an individual's and family's needs (Brennan, 2000). Each family
member had many roles depending on the subsystem within which they were functioning
(Scionti, 2001). For example, one can be husband within the marital subsystem while also
father in the parent-child subsystem (King et al., 2001; Krawetz et al., 2001; Knauth, 2000).
The foci of family role fulfillment were on responsibilities for specific functions, such as
provision of food, clothing, and money to family members (Chenhall, 1998; Li et al., 2009,
Martin-Arafeh et al., 1999), and behaviors individuals engage in to fulfill their roles (King et
al., 2001; Furgał et al., 2009, Chien et al., 2004). The literature reviewed indicated that the
added demands of caregiving disrupt usual patterns of family life (Mercer et al., 1999;
Geurtsen et al., 2011). Therefore, in order to meet family members' needs, family roles were
negotiated and responsibilities were reallocated among family members (Van Horn & Kautz,
2007, Ozono et al., 2005; Furgał et al., 2009, Li. Lin, Ji, Sun, & Rotheram-Borus, 2009;
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Jiang et al., 2015, Çuhadar et al., 2015).

Problem solving—Thirty out of the 51 reviewed studies identified problem solving as an

attribute of family functioning (e.g., Beardslee, Wright, Gladstone, & Forbes, 2007; Vera et
al., 2015, Zhao et al., 2010). Problem solving concerned the family's ability to identify
challenges, develop new knowledge or values, and resolve instrumental or affective
problems and conflicts so that effective functioning was maintained or achieved (Chenhall,
1998; Chiang et al., 2012; O'Farrell et al., 2000). Problem solving was perceived as one of
the most important indicators of family functioning and resources available to the family
(Van Horn & Kautz, 2007). When an ongoing problem was unresolved, family functioning
was threatened; the family might utilize available resources to find solutions, such as seeking
advice from extended family or social network, reallocating family members'
responsibilities, and creating new family routines (Mahrer-Imhof et al., 2013; Tammentie,
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Paavilainen, Tarkka, & Astedt-Kurki, 2009; Tramonti et al., 2014).

Behavior control—Of the 51 reviewed studies, 26 identified behavior control as an

attribute of family functioning in the context of illness (e.g., Astedt-Kurki et al., 2009; Heru
& Ryan, 2004; van der Poel & Greeff, 2003). It referred to the extent to which a set of
standards, rules, and procedures guided family life (Weinstock, Wenze, Munroe, & Miller,
2013). When facing an illness, families clarified and / or altered the rules and standards to
adjust to the stressor (Jiang et al., 2015). Families developed standards of acceptable
behavior to maintain stable family functioning in response to different situations, such as
when a family member was experiencing physical or mental health issues, or when
socializing within or outside of the immediate family (Çuhadar et al., 2015, Krawetz et al.,
2001; Zhao, Yang, & Phillips, 2010). Researchers evaluated the degree of flexibility in
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reorganizing family rules and routines to determine the family adjustment to stress and
response to developmental needs (Mahrer-Imhof et al., 2013; Jiang et al., 2015; Tramonti,
Barsanti, Bongioanni, Bogliolo, & Rossi, 2014).

Communication—Twenty-five out of the 51 reviewed studies identified communication as

a defining attribute of family functioning (e.g., Carnes, 2000; King et al., 2001; Wang &
Zhao, 2012). Communication was defined as the transmission of information; exchange of

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feelings and thoughts; and the way family members express themselves (Furgał et al., 2009;
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Chien, Norman, & Thompson, 2004). The reviewed literature focused primarily on verbal
communication due to methodological difficulties in measuring non-verbal communication
(Ozono et al., 2005; Krawetz et al., 2001). Affective and instrumental communication were
prevalent (e.g., Chenhall, 1998; Simoneau & Miklowitz, 2001; Martin-Arafeh et al., 1999).
Affective communication was described as the exchange of information related to feelings
and emotional experiences (Latham, Sowell, Phillips, & Murdaugh, 2001). Instrumental
communication was described as the exchange of information related to everyday life
(Brennan, 2000). Although there was overlap between the two types of communication,
some researchers found that families exhibited difficulties with affective communication
while functioning well with instrumental communication (Chenhall, 1998; Scionti, 2001).
Families experienced problems with communication when facing illness and made changes
in communication patterns or content to adapt to the illness experience and successfully
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complete day-to-day tasks, such as discussion about caregiving, or encouraging the

expression of feelings between patients and family members (Çuhadar et al., 2015; Heru &
Ryan, 2004; O'Farrell, Murray, & Hotz, 2000).

The five attributes of family functioning were interrelated; none existed independently
(Geurtsen et al., 2011; Krawetz et al., 2001; Weinstock et al., 2013). For example, problem
solving required absorption of new information and adjusting family rules and family roles
(behavior control, role fulfillment). To negotiate role changes among family members and
establish new family routines or rules, clear and effective communication was desirable. The
process of coping with illness (problem solving) may strengthen the emotional bond among
family members (sense of cohesion).

Contextual Basis
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Rodgers (2000) described the contextual basis of a concept as the disciplinary and
sociocultural milieus and temporal context for application of the concept. Themes related to
context identified in the articles are summarized in Table 1 in the categories of
“disciplinary,” “sociocultural,” and “temporal” context.

Disciplinary context—The concept of family functioning when an adult family member

is facing illness was studied in the context of various disciplines. Selected articles
represented publications by first authors from psychology (n = 18), nursing (n = 18),
medicine (n = 5), rehabilitation (n = 5), public health (n = 2), family studies (n = 2), and
dietetics (n = 1).

Sociocultural context—In the literature reviewed, studies were conducted in various

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countries, including the United States (n = 19), Finland (n = 6), China (n = 6), Spain (n = 4),
Canada (n = 3), Japan (n = 2), and others (n = 1 each). Several studies described the
sociocultural context of the sample, including ethnic cultures [African American (Latham et
al., 2001), Chinese culture (Chien et al., 2004; Jiang et al., 2015), and Japanese culture
(Ozono et al., 2005)], and social characteristics [low socioeconomic status (Latham et al.,
2001; Li et al., 2009), cultural gender roles (Morales-Asencio et al., 2008), culture of war/

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violence (Ebrahimzadeh & Rajabi, 2007; Milenković, Simonović, Stanković, & Samardžić,
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2013)]. None of the reviewed literature provided political context.

Temporal Context (Antecedents and Consequences)

Antecedents: Antecedents to family functioning fell into three general categories: (1)
patient-related factors, (2) family member-related factors, and (3) family-unit related factors.
In the category of patient-related factors, there were demographic characteristics,
psychological/behavioral factors, and medical factors. Demographic characteristics included
education (Li et al., 2009), and sex (Kristjanson, Leis, Koop, Carrière & Mueller, 1997).
Psychological/behavioral factors included problem behavior (Saunders, 1997), dysfunctional
coping (Latham et al., 2001), and perceived poor physical or psychological health (Scionti,
2001; Vera et al., 2015). Medical factors included psychiatric diagnoses (Friedmann et al.,
1997; Milenković et al., 2013; Wändell, Brorsson, & Aberg, 1998; Weinstock et al., 2013),
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medical diagnoses (Li et al., 2009; van der Peol & Greeff, 2003), and health events such as
falls (Vera et al., 2015) and hospitalizations (Van Horn & Kautz, 2007). Family member-
related factors included demographic characteristics such as age, education (Kristjanson, et
al., 1997), family role (Krawetz et al., 2001; Knauth, 2000; Scionti, 2001)], psychological
factors such as psychological distress (O'Farrell et al., 2000; Saunders, 1997), and factors
related to resources and demands including social support (Carnes, 2000; Chien et al., 2004;
Yu, Wang, He, Liang, & Zhou, 2015), financial security (Carnes, 2000), caregiving demands
(Heru & Ryan, 2004; Yu et al., 2015), and premorbid relationship quality (Carnes, 2000).
Some family unit-related factors influenced family functioning, including family
demographic factors [e.g., “empty nesters” (Wang & Zhao, 2012)], and factors related to
resources and demands [e.g., a telehealth care transition intervention (Chiang et al., 2012),
group support and information (Beardslee et al., 2007), and the birth of a new family
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member (Tammentie et al., 2009)].

Consequences: In most of the literature reviewed, family functioning was analyzed as the
primary outcome variable, with few subsequent secondary outcomes (consequences)
described. Consequences of family functioning were summarized as psychological and
medical outcomes. Psychological outcomes of family functioning included patient or family
member quality of life (Li et al., 2009), satisfaction with rehabilitation progress (Clark &
Smith, 1998), perceived body size distortion and body dissatisfaction (Benninghoven,
Tetsch, Kunzendorf, & Jantschek, 2007), coping (Tramonti et al., 2014; Cuhadar et al.,
2015), and motivation for childbearing in HIV infected women (Latham et al., 2001),
parental competence (Knauth, 2000), depression (King et al., 2001), anxiety (Ozono et al.,
2005), and caregiving burden (Tramonti et al., 2014; Yu et al., 2015). Medical outcomes of
family functioning included clinician-family therapeutic alliance (Sherer et al., 2007),
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patient re-hospitalization (Mercer et al., 1999), and changes in family members' health
(Astedt-Kurki, Lehti, Tarkka, & Paavilainen, 2004) (Table 1).

Related Concepts
Three related concepts were identified in the literature reviewed, including family resiliency,
family relationship, and family coping. Each “bear some relationship to the concept of
interest but do not share the same set of attributes” (Rodgers, 2000, p. 92). Family resiliency

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was defined as the ability to develop adaptive coping strategies when a family member is
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facing illness (Heru & Ryan, 2004). Family resiliency as a strength facilitates and offsets
difficulties in maintaining family functioning (Heru & Ryan, 2004). Family relationship
referred to relatedness or connection by various methods (i.e. blood, marriage) and included
relationships among immediate family members, relationships between the family and
extended family, and relationships between family and broader units, such as one's
community or church (Chiang et al., 2012). The quality of a family relationship may affect
the level of bonding and emotional connection, and communication among family members,
which influence overall family functioning (Li et al., 2009; Knauth, 2003). Family coping
was defined as the family's effort and utilization of resources in response to problems or
difficulties (Saunders, 1997). Literature described the process of family coping and use of
resources to maintain family functioning (Table 1).

Surrogate Terms
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Four surrogate terms were identified in the text of the articles reviewed, and used
interchangeably with “family functioning”. These terms were family adaptation (Carnes,
2000; Saunders, 1997), family environment (Clark & Smith, 1998; Simoneau & Miklowitz,
2001; Weinstock et al., 2013), family integrity (Van Horn & Kautz, 2007), and family
dynamics (Mercer et al., 1999; Krawetz et al., 2001; Furgał et al., 2009; Geurtsen et al.,
2011; Vera et al., 2015) (Table 1).

Discussion
This is the first concept analysis of family functioning in the context of adult family
members with illness. The findings of this concept analysis may improve conceptual clarity
and can be used to enhance family-centered research and practice. Based on the most
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prevalent attributes of family functioning identified in this concept analysis, family

functioning is defined as family members' ability to maintain cohesive relationships with one
another, fulfill family roles, cope with family problems, adjust to new family routines and
procedures, and effectively communicate with each other. This definition represents the core
components of family functioning, and aligns with previous models of family functioning,
such as McMaster Model of Family Functioning and Process Model of Family Functioning
(Epstein, Bishop & Levin, 1978; Steinhauer, Santa-Barbara, & Skinner, 1984). The
definition of family functioning identified here, is consistent with literature suggesting that
family functioning is the outcome of family efforts to maintain a level of balance, harmony,
and coherence when facing family stress (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1988). Similar attributes
were identified in the McMaster and Process Models including fulfillment of family roles,
direct and clear communication, adaptive family rules, routines and standards, and close
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emotional bonding to meet developmental and situational needs (Epstein et al., 1978;
Steinhauer et al., 1984). This concept analysis contributed to the existing models by
summarizing the antecedents and consequences of family functioning evidenced in current
literature.

The concept of family functioning in the context of illness was of interest in several
disciplines. In this review, the most frequent among them were psychology, nursing, and

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medicine. The attributes were similar across disciplines. From oversampled nursing
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literature, in addition to some commonly used measurements (e.g. FAD), Åstedt-Kurki

(2002) developed the Family Functioning, Health and Social Support (FAFHES)
questionnaire, which was used to assess the association between social support received by
families and family health and family functioning. This measure was designed to assess
results of family functioning displayed, not to assess the process of how a family achieves
such functioning. Much of the literature reviewed reflected family functioning from the
perspectives of psychologists and in the context of family therapy. The challenges that
families face and their willingness to discuss these issues in family counseling for mental
health or social functioning are relevant to psych/mental health nurses, but may be somewhat
different than challenges encountered in the context of an adult family member with
physical/medical illness. Understanding the different needs of different patient populations
may help us to provide the most relevant support and resources. For instance, the nurse-lead
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family conversations with family members guided by the family system nursing framework
that focused on illness, treatment, and well-being were useful to families involved in stroke
care in Sweden (Östlund, Bäckström, Saveman, Lindh, & Sundin, 2016). With regard to
familial care for a person with mental illness, family members expressed that they needed
help in identifying and managing patient's disruptive behavior, improving family cohesion,
and maintaining family routines (Iseselo, Kajula, & Yahya-Malima, 2016). More nursing
research is needed to explore if and how family functioning differs when facing physical
health challenges as opposed to behavioral or psychosocial dysfunction outside of physical/
medical illness. This knowledge could help nurses to better identify and treat salient issues
for families facing different types of illness.

Antecedents of family functioning were noted in most of the studies reviewed, and these
frequently fell into the categories of demographic characteristics, psychological/behavioral
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factors, and medical factors related to the patients, family members, and family units.
Similarly, consequences of family functioning were categorized into psychological and
medical outcomes. In general, good family functioning predicted desirable medical and
psychosocial health outcomes. From a biopsychosocial perspective, one may expect that an
individual's and family's characteristics including background (e.g. demographic), medical
condition, psychological status (e.g. distress), and social structure (e.g., family
characteristics) influence family functioning. Nurses should pay attention to these various
characteristics as targets for intervention and support of family functioning.

Family resiliency, family relationships, and family coping were identified as related
concepts. Family functioning shared some attributes with family resiliency, such as
emotional boding and communication skills (Heru & Ryan, 2004). Family coping, which
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was defined as the utilization of resources in response to family stress, shared the attribute of
problem-solving with family functioning (Carnes, 2000; Saunders, 1997). In addition, family
relationship shared the attributes of communication and cohesion with family functioning
(Li et al., 2009; Knauth, 2000). Nursing interventions addressing family resiliency, family
coping, and family relationship may help to enhance some aspects of family functioning.
Nurse researchers need to select concepts cautiously and provide clear conceptual
definitions to avoid misuse of comparable terms.

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 Zhang Page 11

With regard to surrogate terms, the use of family adaptation as a surrogate for family
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functioning is supported in McCubbin's Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, and

Adaptation (Saunders, 1997). The term “family environment” was also used interchangeably
with family functioning (Simoneau & Miklowitz, 2001; Weinstock et al., 2013); however, its
equivalence with family functioning is questionable. There are many different views and
definitions of family environment among scholars. For example, Wong (1998) defined
family environment as having three components: human capital (a cognitive environment for
children's learning), financial or physical capital (resources to aid achievement), and social
capital (interpersonal relationships). Yet Moos and Moos (1986) identified two dimensions
of personal growth and development (i.e., independence, achievement orientation, moral
religious orientation), and family structure maintenance and change (i.e., organization,
control, rules and procedures) that were distinct from other studies. From this study's
perspective, family environment is a broader term that includes not only family functioning,
Author Manuscript

but also other family-related components, such as family physical environment,

socioeconomic status, and culture. Family integrity was also used as a surrogate term (Van
Horn & Kautz, 2007), but is arguably not equivalent to family functioning. Family integrity
was noted as a surrogate term in only one of the reviewed studies. In the Nursing Outcomes
Classification (Moorhead, Johnson, Maas, & Swanson, 2012), family integrity is defined as
family cohesion or unity, which was identified as an attribute of family functioning in the
current review. Consequently, it is important for family researchers to cautiously select terms
and related measurements and to use consistent key words to categorize publications and
increase visibility in future literature searches.

This concept analysis contributes to the literature by attempting to enhance conceptual

clarity of family functioning in the context of an adult family member with illness; however,
some limitations should be noted. The concept analysis was conducted by a single author.
Author Manuscript

The use of a team approach to review, data extraction and syntheses would provide greater
evidence of rigor. The articles reviewed were limited to those published in the English
language, which narrows the scope of the data analyzed. The small number of publications
from disciplines other than psychology may call into question the applicability of the new
concept definition to contexts other than mental health concerns. Given the heterogeneity of
the study settings and samples, it is difficult to draw any conclusion about consensus on
what “optimal” family functioning in the context of illness would be. Most of the literature
reviewed did not mention the sociocultural or political context of family functioning,
although a few provided some information about how families of particular sociocultural
contexts functioned in the face of illness (Ozono et al., 2005, Jiang et al., 2015). The
proposed definition of family functioning was based largely on conceptualizations from
Western studies. Further research is needed to inform nurses' practice when assessing
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families or providing family-centered interventions to support family functioning across

different sociocultural and political contexts. Finally, there were few papers addressing
family functioning when a patient had an acute illness. The relationship of family
functioning to acute condition should be examined further.

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 Zhang Page 12

Conclusion
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The findings of this concept analysis provide an overview of how family functioning in the
context of adult chronic illness is conceptualized in a targeted sample of the health literature.
Most of the reviewed studies used cross-sectional descriptive designs to explore the
antecedents and consequences of family functioning. Also, few studies focused on
interventions that could improve family functioning. It is important to conduct more
longitudinal follow-up studies and intervention studies to gain a better understanding of the
modifiable antecedents of family functioning. For example, future nursing research could
target antecedent variables, such as providing social support or managing psychological
distress in both patients and their caregivers as interventions to improve family functioning.
Being aware of related concepts and surrogate terms will help researchers to differentiate
among similar concepts and promote clear and consistent usage of the concept across studies
to help with synthesizing evidence.
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Relevance to clinical practice

Family functioning is a multi-dimensional, context-bound concept. Having a comprehensive
understanding of the attributes, antecedents and consequences of family functioning can
facilitate healthcare providers' ability to identify strengths and potential targets to improve
family functioning among their clients. Nurses would engage in initial conversations with
patients and family members about their perceptions of family cohesion, family roles
changes, problem-solving skills, family routines, and communication which are impacted by
illness. In order to bring an understanding of patients and their family's concerns and needs
when a family member is ill, it would be necessary to engage in multi-disciplinary
collaboration with professionals such as social workers, psychologists, and family therapists
to promote patient- and family-centered care. For instance, nurses may recognize signs of
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poor communication among patients and their family members. In response, nurses could
provide communication strategies or refer families to appropriate counseling or social work
services. Similarly, nurses may better recognize anticipated changes caused by illness that
may initiate alterations in family functioning. For example, nurses may identify increases in
patient or caregiver illness-related distress levels and provide emotional support to minimize
potential disruption in family functioning.

Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank the Kwekkeboom research group for feedback on earlier versions of the manuscript.
I thank Dr. Kwekkeboom and Dr. Audrey Tluceck for their insightful feedback and suggestions.

The work was conducted as part of my PhD training at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, under the
supervision of Dr. Kristine Kwekkeboom. My training is supported by an NIH-funded Research Assistant position
Author Manuscript

on Dr. Kwekkeboom's National Institute of Nursing Research award number R01NR013468. The content is solely
the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of
Health.

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Summary statement
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‘What does this paper contribute to the wider global clinical community?

• The identification of attributes of family functioning can serve as a guide in

development of relevant family assessment in clinic setting.

• By exploring studies from non-nursing disciplines, this paper provides

implications for nursing practice and research in the future.
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Figure 1. Flowchart of literature searching

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Table 1
Matrix of abstracted data in reviewed literature
Zhang

Author (year) Country Discipline Sociocultural Sample Attributes* Antecedents Consequences Related Surrogate
context (patient's health concept terms
condition)
Abilés et al. Spain Dietetics Patients with morbidly Communication (e.g. the way
(2010) obese having bariatric family discusses and shares),
surgery cohesion (e.g. help, support, love)
Astedt-Kurki et al. Finland Nursing Family members of Behavior control (e.g. shared
(2002) patients with heart disease activities within the family),
cohesion (e.g. emotional ties)
Astedt-Kurki et al. Finland Nursing Family members of Behavior control (e.g. shared Family health
(2004) patients with heart disease activities within the family),
cohesion (e.g. emotional ties)
Astedt-Kurki et al. Finland Nursing Family members of Behavior control (e.g. shared
(2009) patients with heart disease activities within the family),
cohesion (e.g. emotional ties)
Beardslee et al. US Psychology Parents with depression Communication (e.g.
(2007) expressiveness), problem solving
(e.g. manage conflict), cohesion
(e.g. cohesion)
Benninghoven et Germany Medicine Patients with eating Communication (e.g. express Patients' perceived body size
al. (2007) disorders and their mothers emotions), role fulfillment (e.g. role distortion and body dissatisfaction
performance), behavior control (e.g.
rules), cohesion (e.g. degree of
coherence)
Brennan (2000) US Nursing Patients with medically Communication (e.g. interaction
intractable temporal lobe among family members), role
epilepsy fulfillment (e.g. various roles),
behavior control (e.g. rules),
problem solving (e.g. manage
conflict), cohesion (e.g. support)

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Carnes (2000) US Family studies Family members of Communication (e.g. affection Social support, financial Family adaptation
patients with brain injury expression) cohesion (e.g. degree of security, premorbid
commitment) relationship quality
Chenhall (1998) US Psychology Women with fibromyalgia Communication (e.g. instrumental
and their partners & affective expression and
exchange), role fulfillment (e.g.
repetitive pattern of behavior),
behavior control (e.g. rules,
standard), problem solving (e.g.
providing food, money, and clothing
to family members), cohesion (e.g.
affective involvement)
Chiang (2012) China Nursing Patients with heart failure Role fulfillment (e.g. role mastery), Telehealth transitional care Family relationship
and their family caregivers problem solving (e.g. manage intervention
Page 19
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Author (year) Country Discipline Sociocultural Sample Attributes* Antecedents Consequences Related Surrogate
context (patient's health concept terms
condition)
emotional problems and financial
Zhang

problems), cohesion (e.g. emotion

closeness)
Chien et al. (2004) China Nursing Cultural beliefs Family caregivers of Communication (e.g. express Mutual support group
about filial patients with schizophrenia feelings), role fulfillment (e.g.
responsibility and caregiving role), behavior control
social stigma of (e.g. behavior control), problem
mental health solving (e.g. alternatives to solve
issues problems), cohesion (e.g. kinship
and cohesiveness with family)
Clark & Smith Australia Rehabilitation Stroke survivors Role fulfillment (e.g. caregiving Satisfaction with rehabilitation Family environment
(1998) during the rehabilitation), cohesion progress
(e.g. support, encouragement)
Çuhadar et al. Turkey Nursing Patients with bipolar Communication (e.g. direct Coping strategy
(2015) disorder communication), role fulfillment
(e.g. fulfill expected roles), behavior
control (e.g. rules), problem solving
(e.g. making changes in roles/rules
suited to patient's needs)
Ebrahimzadeh & US Medicine Iran-Iraq War Patients with lower Cohesion (e.g. having marriage, if
Rajabi (2007) extremity amputations as a have children)
result of war
Friedmann et al. US Psychology Patients with psychiatric Communication (e.g. clear and Patient in acute phase of a
(1997) disorders direct communication, emotional psychiatric disorder
expression), role fulfillment (e.g.
established patterns of behavior),
behavior control (e.g. standards of
behavior), problem solving (e.g.
resolve problems within and outside
the family), cohesion (e.g. affective
involvement)
Furgał et al. Poland Family studies Patients with asthma Communication (e.g. efficient Family dynamics

J Clin Nurs. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2019 August 01.

(2009) communication), role fulfillment
(perform a variety of roles),
cohesion (e.g. emotional bonding)
Geurtsen et al. Netherland s Rehabilitatio n Caregivers of patients in a Communication (e.g. emotional family dynamics
(2011) community reintegration expression), role fulfillment (e.g.
program caregiver role), behavior control
(e.g. standards), problem solving
(e.g. problem-solving), cohesion
(e.g. affective involvement)
Hautsalo et al. Finland Nursing Aged patients and their Behavior control (e.g. shared
(2013) family members activities within the family),
cohesion (e.g. emotional ties)
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Author (year) Country Discipline Sociocultural Sample Attributes* Antecedents Consequences Related Surrogate
context (patient's health concept terms
condition)
Zhang

Heru & Ryan US Psychology Relatives of patients with Communication (e.g. emotional Caregivers of patients with Family resilience
(2004) bipolar disorder/ major expression), role fulfillment (e.g. bipolar disorder vs. depression
depression caregiving role), behavior control
(e.g. standards), problem solving
(e.g. develop adaptive skills),
cohesion (e.g. empathy
involvement)
Jiang et al. (2015) China Psychology Cultural belief that Patients on hemodialysis Role fulfillment (e.g. flexibility in
instrumental and their spouses roles), behavior control (e.g. rules),
support is more cohesion (e.g. emotional bonds)
useful than
affective helpful
Khattak (2007) Pakistan Psychology Patients with dissociative Communication(e.g.
disorders communication),role fulfillment
(e.g. define roles), problem solving
(e.g. manage conflict)
King et al. (2001) US Rehabilitatio n Stroke survivors and their Problem solving (e.g. handling PSP depression
primary support persons communication impairment), role
(PSP) fulfillment (e.g. caregiving role,
managing multiple roles)
Knauth (2000) US Nursing Patients and their partners Role fulfillment (roles within family Parent role Parental competence Family relationship
from high-risk hospital subsystem), problem solving (e.g.
maternity units making positive changes in
response to complex environment)
Krawetz et al. Canada Psychology Patients with Communication (e.g. verbal Family role being first degree Family dynamics
(2001) pseudoseizures and their communication, emotion relative
families expression), role fulfillment (e.g.
role related duties within the
family), behavior control (e.g.
boundary, rules), problem solving
(e.g. conflict resolution), cohesion
(e.g. support)

J Clin Nurs. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2019 August 01.

Kristjanson et al. Canada Nursing Family member of Communication (e.g. Family member's age &
(1997) advanced cancer patients communication pattern), role education, patient sex
fulfillment (e.g. role delineation),
behavior control (e.g. behavior
control), problem solving (e.g.
manage conflict), cohesion (e.g.
affective involvement)
Latham et al. US Nursing Single, very young, HIV infected women Communication (e.g. expression History of drug use, history of Motivation for childbearing
(2001) low income, AA affection), problem solving (e.g. verbal violence, patient
cope with life problems and adverse education, life satisfaction,
event), cohesion (e.g. commitment, coping (avoidance, seeking
support from extended family) social support)
Li et al. (2009) China Medicine Poor rural counties Parents with HIV Role fulfillment (e.g. parents HIV status; patient's education Quality of life Family relationship
providing financial stability), level
problem solving (e.g. manage
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Author (year) Country Discipline Sociocultural Sample Attributes* Antecedents Consequences Related Surrogate
context (patient's health concept terms
condition)
conflict), cohesion (e.g. help,
Zhang

support each other)

Mahrer-Imhof et Switzerland Nursing Patients with epilepsy Role fulfillment(e.g. roles), problem
al. (2013) solving (e.g. change rules/roles to
respond to situational or
developmental needs), behavior
control (e.g. rules), cohesion (e.g.
emotional bonding)
Martin-Arafeh et US Nursing Families facing high risk Communication (e.g. interact with
al. (1999) pregnancy each other), role fulfillment
(e.g.,role of family is to provide
caregiving functions),problem
solving (e.g. problem-solving
technique)
Mercer et al. US Psychology Male veterans with mental Role fulfillment (e.g. caregiving Rehospitaliza-tion Family dynamics
(1999) health diagnoses role), cohesion (e.g. engage in
patient's treatment)
Milenković et al. Republic of Serbia Psychology Kosovo War Male war veterans with Role fulfillment (e.g. male subjects' Posttraumatic stress disorder
(2013) posttraumatic stress financial strain), cohesion (e.g.
disorder marital strain)
Morales-Asencio Spain Nursing Gender (female) Patients and caregivers Role fulfillment (e.g. caregiver role)
et al. (2008) expectations for initiating a home care
caregiving program
O'Farrell et al. Canada Rehabilitation Patients undergoing Communication (e.g. express Distressed spouse
(2000) cardiac rehabilitation and feeling), problem solving (e.g.
their spouses spouse provides instrumental
assistance with
medication),cohesion (e.g. support
one another)
Ozono et al. Japan Psychology Rapid urbanization Patients with breast cancer Communication (e.g. nonverbal Patient depression, anxiety
(2005) & nuclearizatio n and their family members communication), role fulfillment
of the family (e.g. carry out roles), problem

J Clin Nurs. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2019 August 01.

solving (e.g. manage conflict),
cohesion (e.g. mutual support)
Rodríguez Martín Spain Public health Patients with eating Communication (e.g. affection
et al. (2005) disorders expression), cohesion (e.g.
commitment)
Saunders (1997) US Nursing Family members of Role fulfillment (e.g. caregiver Psychological distress, patient Family coping Family adaptation
schizophrenia patients role), behavior control (e.g. behavioral problems.
boundaries, discipline), cohesion
(e.g. emotional bonding)
Scionti (2001) US Psychology Women with eating Communication (e.g. exchange self-reported depression of
disorders information), role fulfillment (e.g. patient, parent role (farther VS
every member has many roles), mother)
behavior control (e.g. interpersonal
boundary), problem solving (e.g.
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Author (year) Country Discipline Sociocultural Sample Attributes* Antecedents Consequences Related Surrogate
context (patient's health concept terms
condition)
resolve instrumental and affective
Zhang

problem), cohesion (e.g. investment

in each other, without losing sense
of individuality)
Sherer et al. US Rehabilitatio n Patients with traumatic Cohesion (e.g. support) Clinician-family therapeutic alliance
(2007) brain injury and their
family members
Simoneau & US Psychology Patients with bipolar Communication (e.g. established Family environment
Miklowitz (2001) disorder and their parents communication pattern), behavior
control (e.g. rules), problem solving
(e.g. address family
conflicts),cohesion (e.g. involved
with each other)
Tammentie et al. Finland Nursing Mothers with post-natal Problem solving (e.g. ask for help to The birth of new family
(2009) depression respond to new change) member
Tramonti et al. Italy Psychology Patients with amyotrophic Role fulfillment (e.g. redefine role), Caregiver burden; patient's coping
(2014) lateral sclerosis and their problem solving (e.g. reorganize strategy
primary caregivers routine when facing serious
disease), behavior control (e.g. rules
and routines), cohesion (e.g.
emotion bonding)
Uehara et al. Japan Psychology Patients with eating Role fulfillment (e.g. roles),
(2001) disorders and their behavior control (e.g. rules),
relatives cohesion (e.g. emotional bonding)
van der Poel & Republic of South Psychology Spouses of patients that Role fulfillment (pattern of Patients with CABG vs
Greeff (2003) Africa had undergone coronary behavior), behavior control (e.g. orthopedic surgery
bypass graft (CABG) rules), cohesion (e.g. emotional
bonding)
Van Horn & Kautz Not specific Nursing Family members of a Role fulfillment (e.g. allocate Hospitalization Family integrity
(2007) hospitalized adult responsibility among members),
problem solving (e.g. obtain
adequate resources to meet family

J Clin Nurs. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2019 August 01.

member needs), cohesion (e.g.
support and help for one another)
Vera et al. (2015) Bazil Nursing Older patients with chronic Communication (e.g. interaction), Osteoporosis; falls; self- Family dynamics
diseases problem solving (e.g. adapt to perceived poor health
stressful situation, managing condition
conflict), cohesion (e.g. support for
each other)
Wändell et al. Sweden Medicine Patients with diabetes Not described Comorbid psychiatric disease
(1998)
Wang & Zhao China Medicine People with depression and Communication (e.g. emotional Empty nest couple with vs.
(2012) their spouses expression), role fulfillment (e.g. non-empty nester couple
roles), behavior control (e.g.
behavior control), problem solving
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Author (year) Country Discipline Sociocultural Sample Attributes* Antecedents Consequences Related Surrogate
context (patient's health concept terms
condition)
(e.g. resolve problem), cohesion
Zhang

(e.g. affective involvement)

Weinstock et al. US Psychology Patients with bipolar Communication (e.g. communicate Patients with bipolar disorder Family environment
(2013) disorder and major clearly and directly), role vs major depressive disorder
depressive disorder fulfillment (e.g. ability to allocate
and accomplish tasks), behavior
control (e.g. standards and limits),
problem solving (e.g. resolve
problem and steps to take), cohesion
(e.g. affective involvement)
Wisotsky et al. US Psychology Patients with eating Role fulfillment (e.g. pattern of
(2006) disorders behavior), behavior control (e.g.
rules), problems solving (e.g.
manage conflict), cohesion (e.g.
emotional bonding)
Yu et al. (2015) China Public health Patients with Alzheimer's Problem solving (e.g. using Hours of caregiving, patient's Caregiver burden
disease and their caregivers resources for problem solving in cognitive function; social
family crisis), cohesion (e.g. support
support, commitment)
Zhao et al. (2010) China Psychology Patients who had Problem solving (e.g. conflict
attempted suicide resolution, ask help from extended
family), cohesion (e.g. cohesion)

*
The italic texts in parentheses were examples of quotes from reviewed studies.

The blanks in each cell were characteristics which cannot find in original articles.

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