Family resilience and subjective well‐being: Validation of the Albanian Walsh Family Resilience Questionnaire
Kaltrina Kelmendi, Dardana Fetahu, Shkurtë BajgoraABSTRACT
Objective
This study adapted the Walsh Family Resilience Questionnaire (WFRQ) for the Albanian language and Kosovar cultural context and examined its relationship with subjective well‐being (SWB).
Background
Resilience, the capacity to adapt positively in the face of adversity, is a key construct in mental health research. Family resilience refers to the processes through which families cope with challenges and support one another's well‐being.
Method
A sample of 522 adults aged 18 to 25, 26 to 45, and 46 and older completed the WFRQ, along with measures of family‐oriented meaning‐making and SWB. Translation followed a structured forward–backward process, supplemented with cognitive interviews to ensure cultural relevance.
Results
Confirmatory factor analyses supported partially a three‐domain model—belief systems, organizational processes, and communication/problem‐solving—though the spirituality dimension showed weaker performance. Positive associations between all family‐resilience dimensions and SWB, with strongest links for connectedness, collaborative problem‐solving, socioeconomic resources, and family care. Regression analyses indicated that these dimensions, along with age, uniquely predicted SWB.
Conclusion
The Albanian WFRQ appears linguistically meaningful and culturally appropriate for use in Kosovo, showing acceptable overall fit and partial support for the proposed three‐process model. The findings further suggest that, in Kosovo's collectivist, post‐conflict context, family resilience is grounded more in relational and practical support than in transcendence.
Implications
The study provides novel quantitative evidence linking family resilience to well‐being in Kosovo, offering insights for culturally tailored interventions that strengthen family bonds, problem‐solving capacities, and resource mobilization while addressing structural barriers such as gender inequities.