Developing a Model of Healthy Family based on an Explorative Mixed Method Research

Discovering criteria and characteristics of a healthy family is quite essential from both conceptual aspect and therapeutic basis. This study was targeted at developing a model of healthy family in Iranian society. A mixed method (qualitative-quantitative) of research was applied to the study. In the qualitative stage, the researchers interviewed selected couples and family specialists and then based on their opinions, criteria and characteristics of healthy family were identified. Subsequently, the relevant investigations carried out concerning healthy family were scrutinized out, of which topics on healthy family extracted. In the second stage, the model was investigated for its fitness with fieldwork studies. In analyzing transcripts of interviews with couples, 83 and 19 categories were obtained respectively from open coding and axial coding based on topic similarity. Likewise, through analysis of transcripts of interviews with family specialists, 106 and 21 categories established while using open and axial coding respectively. Finally, qualitative analysis of previous researches on healthy family resulted in 114 categories which were then distributed into 20 categories in the light of axial coding in accordance with topic similarity. As a result, a model of healthy family was constructed including fourteen dimensions by means of triangulation in compliant with the categories extracted from interviews with family specialists, couples, and the available previous research results. The findings also revealed that the qualitative model suggested for healthy family fitted fieldwork data and supposed factorial structure was also confirmed.