Development of the headspace Family and Friends Satisfaction Scale: Findings from a pilot study

Aims: The primary aim of this pilot study was to determine the psychometric properties of the 18-item headspace Family and Friends Satisfaction Scale (hFAFSS). Methods: During August 2015, staff from 22 headspace centres approached family members and friends of young people attending headspace to complete the hFAFSS. Principal components analysis with oblique Promin rotation and polychoric correlations were used to assess the factor structure of the hFAFSS. Results: There were 277 usable responses. Satisfaction was high, resulting in little variance. Parallel analyses suggested that the scale items tapped a single factor (68% of variance). Conclusions: This study is one of the first attempts to measure the satisfaction of family and friends with primary care-based youth mental health services. Satisfaction of family members and friends was shown to be high, but limited variance restricts the usability of the hFAFSS as an evaluation measure, and revision and further testing is needed.