More than twenty years ago intensive research started which aimed at a better understanding of schizophrenic patients and their families.
This paper surveys some of the studies concerning this subject and limits itself to what we conscider the three leading American research centers in this field (i.e. Yale University, the group at Palo Alto, the group at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda). The results of these groups are not considered seperately but are incorporated into three main areas of disturbance, following closely the framework of T. Lidz.
le — Deficiencies in parental nurturance: here we consider successively the mothers and fathers of schizophrenic children and try to bring together some characteristics of these parents indicating how and why they fail to exercise their nurturant role.
2e — Dysfunctioning of the family as a psychosocial institution: here we stress the failure to form a coalitium (marital schism, marital skew) and the difficulties the parents have in adhering to appropriate sex and social roles, thus failing to give security in identification;
3e — Deficiencies in the transmission of adequate communicative tools: We discuss the 'Double Bind' in communication patterns; the 'Pseudo-mutuality' in relationships; the language considered as an instrument of communication, and the 'schizophrenic thougth disorders' as a possible result of disturbed interpersonal relations.
We think that by attributing a causal role to psychogenesis in the etiology of schizophrenia we do not preclude a causal role of biogenesis and we do not see any incompatibility of these two types of explanation.