Abstract
One of the most useful frameworks for viewing the family as a discrete system (rather than just a collection of individuals) is the family life cycle. Emerging from the observations of sociologists (1–6), psychiatrists (7), and family therapists (8–9), the family life cycle is a logical extension of its clinical predecessors, child (10) and adult (11–14) growth and development. Individual growth and development do not stop at age 21, nor do they take place in a vacuum. Different individual stages of development occur simultaneously in different family members—the onset of adolescence in a child and midlife crisis in a parent, for instance. The concept of the family life cycle has been applied clinically in family therapy (8,9) and family practice (15–17). This chapter will define the family life cycle, illustrate how it can be a useful adjunct in medical practice, and discuss its logistical and theoretical limitations for such practice.
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