Psychometric Properties of Walsh Family Resilience Questionnaire (WFRQ) in the Malaysian Context

Focusing on resilience is essential as it emphasizes the well-being of individuals, families, and society. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Walsh Family Resilience Questionnaire (WFRQ) in the Malaysian context. WFRQ is an assessment tool that measures the construct of family resilience. A total of 215 participants were collected from parents of children aged from 21 to 65 years (mean = 43.96, SD = 9.42) from two communities in Selangor, Malaysia. The participants were asked to complete the WFRQ and the Perceived Relationship Quality Component (PRQC) Inventory. The factor structure, reliability, and validity of the WFRQ were examined. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a six-factor solution—these six factors were labeled as transcendence and spirituality (Factor 1), clear information and resources (Factor 2), connectedness among family members (Factor 3), making meaning of adversity (Factor 4), open emotional expression (Factor 5), and a positive outlook (Factor 6) which accounted for 57.78% of the variance. The internal consistency of the scale was high (α = 0.92). The WFRQ score was significantly and positively correlated with the PRQC total score and its sub-scale score. Our study provides preliminary evidence that suggests the WFRQ is a reliable and valid scale for assessing the construct of family resilience in the Malaysian context.