Assessment of Stepfamily Marriages

Abstract

Given the ongoing rise in the numbers of stepfamily constellations in 21st-century society, and given the identified challenges and resultant dissolution rates of these families, clinicians who wish to be of clinical service to stepfamilies require information about the most recent standardized measures for stepfamily assessment. These measures can be divided into those assessments pertaining to issues and patterns of stepparenting and those measures attending to marital dynamics. This article will present psychometric information about two measures of stepfamily marital functioning along with recommendations for the efficacious therapeutic use of each measure.