BURDEN ASSESSMENT SCALE FOR FAMILIES OF THE SERIOUSLY MENTALLY-ILL

Although there are many scales of family burden that are available and in use, there is no accepted standard. This paper describes a scale developed to assess the burden of families with a seriously mentally ill member. The Burden Assessment Scale (BAS), consisting of 19 items, is shown to have excellent reliability. Use of the BAS in two separate studies reveals the scale to have a stable factor structure, whether it is self- or interviewer-administered. The scale differentiates between family samples with different levels of burden and is sensitive to changes over time. The BAS, which is brief, reliable, and valid, is a practical tool for use in program evaluation.