Family assessment among patients with various mental disorders

Abstract

Background Most families of patients with mental disorders have family patterns that vary with their mental disorder. Objective Description and association of family structure and pattern in relation to level of functioning, psychiatric diagnosis, and other demographic data. Patients and methods Patients in inpatient and outpatient clinics in Psychological Medicine Hospital in Cairo between June and December 2012 were assessed. Informed consents were obtained from patients and their families. Patients were assessed using psychiatric interview, International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) symptom checklist, structured assessment of personality, global assessment of functioning (GAF) scale, family assessment scale, and family socioeconomic scale. Statistics were done using SPSS (χ2-test). Results Psychiatric disorders are more prevalent in eldest birth order, skewed family pattern, cold controlling parent–child attachment style, families with poor communication in spite of good parenting, prevalent paternal obsessive traits, and maternal histrionic and dependent traits. ICD-10 diagnoses vary with age, sex, parenting style, and family assessment scale adaptability and parenting. GAF vary with ICD-10 diagnoses, and parenting style. Conclusion Psychiatric disorders are more prevalent in eldest birth order, skewed family pattern, cold controlling parent–child attachment style, families with poor communication though good parenting, with paternal obsessive traits, and maternal histrionic and dependent traits. Patients with psychotic disorders, who have poorer functioning, have families with good adaptability and parenting, and also idealizing parenting style. Patients with neurotic disorders who have better functioning have families with poor adaptability and parenting, and also scapegoating parenting style. Patients with psychotic disorders scored less than 20 on GAF. Meanwhile patients with neurotic scored 41–60.