Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes (FILE)

Abstract

The Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes (FILE) is a widely utilized self-report instrument designed to measure the cumulative impact of normative and non-normative life events and changes experienced by a family unit. Developed by Hamilton I. McCubbin and Joan M. Patterson, the FILE is a crucial component in assessing family stress and demands (Factor A in the Double ABCX model of family adjustment and adaptation). The scale documents 71 potential stressors across nine distinct categories, allowing researchers and clinicians to quantify the total number of changes a family has undergone, which is predictive of future family functioning and the need for enhanced coping resources.

Keywords

Family stress, life events, family assessment, Double ABCX model, adaptation, coping, psychosocial stressors, family measurement.

Authors

Hamilton I. McCubbin, Joan M. Patterson, Constance B. Joy, A. Elizabeth Cauble, Joan K. Comeau, Richard H. Needle.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes (FILE) is to systematically identify and quantify the frequency of significant changes and stressors that have occurred within a family system over a specified period, typically the past 6 to 12 months. This quantification is essential for understanding the total demands placed upon the family, which in turn influences the family’s capacity for resilience and adaptation to ongoing or future crises.

By measuring the accumulation of these family life changes, the FILE aids in predicting which families may be vulnerable to experiencing a crisis state, allowing for targeted intervention strategies aimed at bolstering family resources and coping mechanisms. It serves as an empirical foundation for applying theoretical models of family stress, such as the seminal work on the Double ABCX model.

Construct

The core construct measured by the FILE is the accumulation of family stressors, conceptualized as objective changes requiring a family adjustment or response. This accumulation is defined as the “A Factor” within the McCubbin and Patterson framework of family stress and adaptation. The instrument distinguishes between various types of stressors, recognizing that not all changes carry the same weight or require the same level of adaptive effort.

The scale operationalizes family stress across nine domains, encompassing common transitional events (e.g., launching children) as well as non-normative crises (e.g., serious illness, legal violations). The total score reflects the magnitude of demands the family is currently facing, irrespective of the family’s existing resources or perception of those demands. This objective measure of life events is critical for researchers studying the relationship between environmental demands and family outcome variables, such as health and marital satisfaction.

Validity

The validity of the FILE has been supported extensively through its use in family research, particularly in studies employing the Double ABCX model. Construct validity is supported by the instrument’s theoretical grounding, demonstrating that higher scores on the FILE correlate significantly with measures of family distress, lower family satisfaction, and increased vulnerability to crises.

Criterion validity is often established by showing that the total number of reported life events predicts negative outcomes, such as psychological symptoms in family members or decreased ability to handle chronic illness. The nine subscales contribute to face validity by covering a broad range of common and critical family experiences, ensuring comprehensive coverage of potential sources of strain.

Reliability

Reliability studies for the FILE typically report good to acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) for the total scale, generally falling in the range of .70 to .85, indicating that the items consistently measure the underlying construct of accumulated family demands. Test-retest reliability tends to be moderate, which is expected given that the instrument measures events that are inherently time-bound and subject to change over short periods.

Reliability checks across the nine subscales show variability, with factors covering acute stressors (like Illness or Losses) often demonstrating lower internal consistency than factors measuring chronic developmental or relational strains (like Intra-Family Strains). Overall, the FILE is considered a reliable measure for assessing family demands over a defined retrospective period.

Factor Analysis

Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the FILE consistently confirm the multidimensional nature of family stress, supporting the original nine-factor structure proposed by the authors. These factors represent distinct domains of family functioning where strains or transitions occur.

1. Intra-Family Strains
2. Marital Strains
3. Pregnancy and Childbearing Strains
4. Finance and Business Strains
5. Work-Family Transitions and Strains
6. Illness and Family Care Strains
7. Losses
8. Transitions “In and Out”
9. Family Legal Violations

This factor structure ensures that researchers can analyze not only the overall stress burden but also the specific types of stressors dominating the family experience, which is crucial for determining appropriate family adaptation strategies.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report inventory/Checklist

Format: 71 items, dichotomous response (Yes/No) for two timeframes.

Language Available: English (translations into other languages, such as Spanish, have been developed and used in research).

Population Group: Families (Nuclear and extended).

Age Group: Typically administered to an adult family member (e.g., parent, spouse) capable of reporting on the entire family unit’s experiences.

Population Details: Applicable to diverse family structures, including those with chronically ill members, military families, and families navigating normative developmental transitions.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate whether each event or change occurred in their family during two distinct time periods: 1) During the last 12 months, and 2) Before the last 12 months. The total score is calculated by summing the number of events checked in the designated timeframe (usually the past 12 months for acute stress measurement). This instrument can be found in reference compilations; for example, the instrument is available via the link below (PDF): Healthy Marriages Compendium, Part 2.

Keywords

Psychological assessment, family resilience, psychosocial measures, life transitions, normative stress, chronic illness, family demands, Hamilton McCubbin, Joan Patterson.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not uniformly available or specified in source materials.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not uniformly available or specified in source materials.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence is often directed to the University of Wisconsin or related academic institutions where the authors were affiliated during the scale’s development.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes (FILE) was developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with primary research publications appearing around 1980–1983. Permission for use is often required from the authors or the institutional entity holding the copyright, typically related to Hamilton I. McCubbin’s research group or associated university publishing houses. Researchers are advised to contact the authors directly or consult published measures compendia for current usage fees and permissions.

Reference’s

• Patterson, Joan M., and Mccubbin, Hamilton I. (1983). The Impact of Family Life Events and Changes on the Health of a Chronically III Child. Family Relations, 32(2); 255-264.
• Mccubbin, Hamilton I., Joy, Constance B,. Cauble, A. Elizabeth., Comeau, Joan K., Patterson, Joan M., and Needle, Rich‎ard H. (1980). Family Stress and Coping: A Decade Review. Journal of Marriage and Family, 42(4); 855-871.
• McCubbin, H.I., & Patterson, J. M. (1982). Family adaptation to crisis. In H.l. McCubbin, A. Cauble, & J. Patterson (Eds.), Family stress, coping and social support. 26-47. Springfield, Illinois: ch‎arles C. Thomas.
• McCubbin, H.L, & Patterson, J. (1983). Family transitions: Adaptation to stress. In H.l. McCubbin & C.R. Figley (Eds ). Stress and the family: 1. Coping with Normative Transitions (p. 5-25). New York: Brunner/Maxel.
• McCubbin, M.A., & McCubbin, H.l. (1987). Family stress theory and assessment: The t-double ABCX model of family adjustment and adaptation. In H.l. McCubbin & A.I. Thompson (Eds). Family Assessment Inventories for Research and Practice (pp. 3-32). Madison, W l: University of Wisconsin.
• McCubbin, H.L, & Patterson, J.M. (1992). Family adaptation to crisis. In H.L McCubbin, E. Cauble, & J. M. Patterson (Eds ), Family stress, coping and social support (pp. 26-47). Springfield, IL: ch‎arles C. Thomas.
• McCubbin, H. L, Thomspon, A.I., & McCubbin, M. A. (1996). Family Assessment: Resiliency, Coping, and Adaptation. Madison: University of Wisconsin.
• Corcoran, K., & Fischer, J. (2000). Measures for clinical practice: A sourcebook (Vol.1). New York, NY: The Free Press.
• Moes, Jennifer Lee, “Unplanned Hospitalization of a Child: Perceptions of Stress, Family Life Events, and Coping Resources” (1999). Masters Theses. Paper 513.

Items of the Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes (FILE)

Did the change happen in your family?

I. INTRA-FAMILY STRAINS

1. Increase of husband/father’s time away from family
2. Increase of wife/mother’s time away from family
3. A member appears to have emotional problems
4. A member appears to depend on alcohol or drugs
5. Increase in conflict between husband and wife
6. Increase in arguments between parent(s) and child(ren)
7. Increase in conflict among children in the family
8. Increased difficulty in managing teenage child(ren)
9. Increased difficulty in managing school child(ren) (6-12 yrs.)
10. Increased difficulty in managing preschool child(ren) (2-6 yrs.)
11. Increased difficulty in managing toddler(s) (1-2½ yrs.)
12. Increased difficulty in managing infant(s) (0-1yrs.)
13. Increase in the amount of “outside activities” which the children are involved in
14. Increased disagreement about a member’s friends or activities
15. Increase in the number of problems or issues which don’t get resolved
16. Increase in the number of tasks or chores which don’t get done
17. Increased conflict with in-laws or relatives

II. MARITAL STRAINS

18. Spouse/parent was separated or divorced
19. Spouse/parent has an “affair”
20. Increased difficulty in resolving issues with a “former” or separated spouse
21. Increased difficulty with sexual relationship between husband and wife

III. PREGNANCY AND CHILDBEARING STRAINS

22. Spouse had an unwanted or difficult pregnancy
23. An unmarried member became pregnant
24. A member had an abortion
25. A member gave birth to or adopted a child

IV. FINANCE AND BUSINESS STRAINS

26. Took out a loan or refinanced a loan to cover increased expenses
27. Went on welfare
28. Change in conditions (economic, political, weather) which hurts the family business
29. Change in agriculture market, stock market, or land values which hurts family investments and/or income
30. A member started a new business
31. Purchased or built a home
32. A member purchased a car or other major item
33. Increasing financial debts due to overuse of credit cards
34. Increased strain on family “money” for medical/dental expenses
35. Increased strain on family “money” for food, clothing, energy, home care
36. Increased strain on family “money” for child(ren)’s education
37. Delay in receiving child support or alimony payments

V. WORK-FAMILY TRANSITIONS AND STRAINS

38. A member changed to a new job/career
39. A member quit or lost a job
40. A member retired from work
41. A member started or returned to work
42. A member stopped working for extended period (e.g., laid off, leave of absence, strike)
43. Decrease in satisfaction with job/career
44. A member had increased difficulty with people at work
45. A member was promoted at work or given more responsibilities
46. Family moved to a new home/apartment
47. A child/adolescent member changed to a new School

VI. ILLNESS AND FAMILY CARE” STRAINS

48. Parent/spouse became seriously ill or injured
49. Child became seriously ill or injured
50. Close relative or friend of the family became seriously ill
51. A member became physically disabled or seriously ill
52. Increased difficulty in managing a chronically ill or disabled member
53. Member or close relative was committed to an institution or nursing home
54. Increased responsibility to provide direct care or financial help to husband’s and/or wife’s parent(s)
55. Experienced difficulty in arranging for satisfactory child care

VII. LOSSES

56. A parent/spouse died
57. A child member dies
58. Death of husband or wife’s parent or close relative
59. Close friend of the family died
60. Married son or daughter was separated or divorced
61. A member “broke up” a relationship with a close friend

VIII. TRANSITIONS “IN AND OUT”

62. A member was married
63. Young adult member left home
64. A young adult member began college (or post high school training)
65. A member moved back home or a new person moved into the household
66. A parent/spouse started school (or training program) after being away from school for a long time

IX. FAMILY LEGAL VIOLATIONS

67. A member went to jail or juvenile detention
68. A member was picked up by police or arrested
69. Physical or sexual abuse or violence in the home
70. A member ran away from home
71. A member dropped out of school or was suspended from school